A Man Before His Time
by Jevens
Summary: Following the Cell Games tragedy strikes, leaving Gohan to raise a child on his own. Can he handle his own inner demons for the sake of his child? What will happen when a ghost from the past returns? R
1. No More

A/N: Hey there, so this is my first fanfiction! I've been trying to get this story up and going for a while now, the first time I tried the darn thing didn't save(I won't make that mistake again)and I've had a lot on my plate lately too, but now here it is!

This story focuses on the concept of Gohan having to raise Goten on his own. I know other stories like this have been done, but I tried to make this as original as possible. The story also revolves around the father-son relationship between Gohan & Goku.

This chapter is **long** as you might have of noticed, but I can assure you that future chapters will be shorter in length. This is sort of the 'prologue' to the story.

**Reviews** are appreciated! Remember this is my first fanfic _ever_ so feedback would be great! :)

The story will switch from in and out of Gohan's POV, you'll see what I mean when you read this chapter...don't worry, it'll be easy to follow.

Disclaimer: no I do not own DBZ, if I did I'd be living somewhere a lot warmer right now!

* * *

**Chapter 1: No More**

I lay motionless on the bed that has become the setting of my sleepless nights that I've endured over these past few years. My body bears the feeling of numbness that I've grown accustom to at this point. I don't even attempt to try to fall asleep anymore, it's as though my body and mind are detached when it comes to the concept of rest. When I'm physically exhausted my mind refuses to falter to my bodies pleads. All attempts to force myself are only in vain, but it's not as if I'm desperate for rest anyway. In honesty, I try to avoid it when I can, because that's when everything that's refrained in the depths of my mind is unleashed.

It's the only time I'm not in control, the only time the events of the past that I've suppressed and neglected are unravelled.

All the pain and memories that once dominated my mind have been locked away and sealed behind closed doors long ago. But when I sleep somehow the bonds holding those doors closed are broken and every face, every fight, and every force that I've left forgotten make their presence known. Fortunately, most of the dreams I have are lost with my unconsciousness, but sometimes I awake with these images still lingering in my mind and replaying like a broken record. If this is the case, then I do the only thing I can; I violently shove those mockeries behind those doors and pray that they never escape those restraints again.

But all of these so called memories that haunt me aren't mine. No... they're someone else's, someone who no longer exists.

I've questioned my own existence and purpose on this planet so many times, and to this day I'm left living with this burden of unanswered questions that still roam through my mind.

But I have come to realize that there's really only one reason why this planet and its inhabitants are still standing unharmed, and why I'm still alive and breathing... and that reason is him. The love I have for him is what keeps my will to live strong enough to carry on; my devotion to give him everything I never had and to make sure he doesn't experience a childhood like my own, and my determination to protect him from all the cruel assets that life has to offer to a young boy - these are the only reasons.

If it wasn't for him, I would have successfully proceeded to destroy this planet and everyone on it, including myself, and I probably wouldn't of regret doing it. No matter how tempting the idea seemed at one time, I couldn't do it, not while he was there - he was my responsibility, my person to love, and my reason to live.

Even though I'd decided against the voices in my head that told me to simply end it all, they are still there, crawling and scratching in the back of my mind. If it wasn't for that child, I would have been consumed by those demons long ago.

You may think of me as a troubled young man, and I couldn't argue with that. Though, I am quite young, and would be viewed as just a boy to the naive eye, my mind is far beyond my physical appearance. Sometimes I think those doors I've secured shut are not as well hidden as I initially thought, because sometimes when a person that has supposedly known me my entire life glances into my eyes today it's like they can see past my barriers and into the darkness inside of me, and it burns their soul like it does my own. They know its presence is inside of me, and they know the only thing that keeps it confined is that little boy who I've given my heart to.

I wasn't always this way, far from it actually. You may find it hard to believe but I once was a pure hearted joyful little boy.

But one day, a man took notice of a minor spark that existed deep down in my heart, and this discovery aroused him. So he reached down and latched onto that spark and decided to turn that spark into a flame, and that flame into a fire - too bad this man didn't know that playing with fire is _very_ dangerous.

This ruthless man turned the innocent child I once was into the unbalanced fiend that I've become. I'm glad that I've already killed that man, although at the time I cried at his departure because I was too blind to see what he had done to me.

I had a desire to fight and train starting at a young age, but I never truly wanted to hurt anyone. It was something I was thrown into doing without a choice, but I never protested because I felt as though it was something I _had_ to do. The blood running through my veins made me a warrior, but logically I was still a child, and more of a human one at that.

It's hard to comprehend now, but back when I was around his age, I was terrified of basically everything. I couldn't even fall asleep without a nightlight, but I guess that made me like every other human child. That child didn't last long though; by the time I was eleven years old I was a warrior who faced countless cruel monsters in the universe, and through it all I never let anything falter the smile on my face. Death, pain, suffering were all thrown at me numerous times, but I trudged on, looking at the good aspects of life instead of focusing on the horrors that surrounded me.

But four years ago everything changed, and that happy little pure hearted boy died along with the ones he loved.

* * *

"Gohan did you finish your studying yet!"

"Yes mom! I did it this morning, and I caught up on all the work I've missed, so can I stop wearing that thing that teaches me in my sleep? It gives me a headache."

"Gohan, you know you've been slacking off on your studies, and that's the only way I'm going to cram all that work into your head that you've missed while you were off playing your fighting games!"

"But mom, I'm all done now. So can you let me help you now, please?" The raven haired boy pleaded.

The dark haired women stood with her hands on her hips, her fierce eyes staring down into her son's that shined with genuine sincerity. "Fine!" The women finally said. "Goten needs a bottle and I have to clean up the kitchen... think you can handle that?"

The demi-saiyan grinned. "Yes ma'am."

The women's features softened and she dropped her hands from her hips. Her lips curved into a small smile as she peered down at the young man in front of her, then she sighed, dropping down to a knee to level their gazes.

"You sure are growing up fast." Her smile remained but it had a touch of sorrow to it, the same sorrow that was present for the past several months.

"Does that mean I can finally go train with Piccolo whenever I want!" The boy asked with hope glimmering in his eyes.

"No, that means your mom's getting old." She laughed and ruffled her son's dark spiky hair before standing up. "Now go feed your brother before he tries to eat the crib or something."

"Okay mom."

ChiChi watched her son dash out of the kitchen, and she couldn't help but beam with pride at the young man her son had become. He had lived through things that a person could only imagine. Even though some people thought she was pushing him too hard with his school work, she knew it was for his own good and it would all pay off in the end. He never turned down a challenge, whether it was on the battle field or in a textbook. He was always up for any opposition. He may have been just a twelve-year-old boy, but ChiChi knew he was far past the maturity of any other twelve-year-old she'd ever encounter.

She was always so scared for her little boy when her husband would take him away from her to face dangerous foes in environments filled with violence. She hated it. She wanted her boy to be a scholar, was that too much to ask? Goku always wanted her boy to fight. Every second of every day Gohan's life would be nothing but combat and hostility if it was up to her husband. But she wouldn't allow that, oh no, not Son ChiChi.

So every opportunity that arose, she would pull Gohan away from fighting and shove a book in his face. She wasn't going to have her son become some poor bum living on the streets. He was going to be a doctor, or a teacher, or... some other profession that offered a very high salary.

ChiChi wouldn't deny that she had a passion for martial arts, heck that's how she met her husband. That's the reason why she allowed Gohan to fight in the first place. She knew he had the same passion that she once cherished, but she also knew that he couldn't make a living off of it.

So she and her husband came to an agreement that if their son was going to fight, then he was going to study. Gohan had always listened to her commands over the years with little argument, and she couldn't have been happier with him. The boy was even there by her side to aid her when she herself desperately needed someone.

When her husband died during the battle with Cell, she was devastated. She cried for days, unable to leave her bed. The man she loved, the father of her child, was gone, and he did not wish to return. She couldn't even be there for her son, to comfort him with the lost of his father because of her own grief. She couldn't even imagine how hard it was on him.

When Gohan had walked into the house that day, she felt her heart clench in her chest at the sight of her little boy's eyes. They were as hard and cold as ice, and they held something that made her shiver to the bone. She recognized that something had changed about him since the last time she'd seen him... something inside. And when his dark orbs lifted and looked into hers, she knew at that very moment what had happened. But she didn't want to believe it, she refused to.

So on that very difficult day, ChiChi made her son say the words out loud, the words that wounded his heart so much. She made her son tell her that his father, her husband, was dead. The pain laced in his voice as he spoke, and the guilt that shined in his eyes told her that he believed it was his fault.

But she never blamed him. How could she? Goku was a grown man; he knew exactly what he was doing when it came to fighting and what the impact of his decisions would have. And she told Gohan that, she tried to make it clear that he wasn't to blame for what happened. But the icy glaze in his eyes still remained, and ChiChi knew that he didn't believe her.

She remained in a deep state of depression for days after that, having the willpower to do nothing but breathe. Her state continued to worsen rather than improve, and she became ill. She conducted a steady routine of crying, throwing up, and sleeping until her father finally had enough and forced her to go see a doctor. What the doctor had told her would change her life forever, and left her entire body paralysed with shock.

She was pregnant.

Her tears increased even more after that. She had to do this all on her own, and she was terrified. News that was meant to bring joy to her life left her feeling helpless and alone.

But one day she woke up and forbid her tears to fall anymore. She couldn't keep doing this to herself - all of the sulking and anxiety, it wasn't healthy, for her or the baby. So that morning she woke with a clear mind and a heart filled with new determination. She was going to raise a perfect and healthy family, with or without her husband.

And that's what she did. She gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy - even though in her heart she was hoping for a girl - and continued to aid and support her eldest son.

Gohan had been there for her throughout the entire pregnancy. Oh how she pitied him for having to deal with her wild mood swings.

She was grateful for his help, but she also felt that he was maturing far beyond his years with all the weight that had been piled up on his shoulders. He saved the world, lost his father, supported his pregnant mother, continued working diligently on his academics, and was now helping raise his baby brother.

In some ways this unsettled ChiChi. All she wanted was her first born to have a normal life that his mother and father never got the opportunity to have. But it turned out his life had become more complex then both of their lives combined.

When she first discovered she was having a second child, she was distressed because she believed the child would grow up without a father, but she was wrong. The boy would grow up with a big brother by his side that would help him in ways ChiChi could not.

ChiChi's mind continued to wander as she circled the washcloth over the same spot on the counter.

"Mom!"

ChiChi jumped in surprise as her mind was thrown back to the present. She turned around to face the twelve-year-old standing behind her.

"Gohan, don't sneak up on me like that! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Gohan pouted. "Sorry, but I'm hungry"

ChiChi let the cloth slip from her hand and pressed her fists to her hips. "And what am _I_ suppose to do about it, huh? You are fully capable of getting yourself a snack. I've already fed you breakfast."

"But there's nothing here to eat, the fridge is empty!" he whined.

ChiChi sighed. "I guess I was suppose to pick up some groceries the other day, but it must of slipped my mind. I guess I _could _call your grandfather and get him to drive me into town. Oh but I'll have to get a babysitter. I hate leaving you two at Capsule Corp. with that Vegeta staying there. I still don't trust that man..."

"Mom!" Gohan cut in, "I can take care of Goten. I'm not a little kid anymore you know. I don't need a babysitter. I lived in the woods on my own when I was five remember?"

ChiChi folded her arms across her chest and frowned. "Taking care of a child by yourself is a major responsibility Gohan! And _yes_, you are still a child whether you like it or not."

"But I already know how to feed him, change his diapers, burp him, bath him, and everything!" The demi-saiyan held out a finger for each capability he listed off, then sighed in exasperation. "Common mom, _please._"

The women stood glaring at him for several moments before finally responding. "Fine! I think you're responsible enough to handle things for a few hours." She turned and glanced at the clock, then muttered, "I'll go call your grandfather."

Gohan smiled in triumph and nodded, then turned to walk back to the living room where his new born brother laid in his crib.

ChiChi sighed and picked up the phone.

After 20 minutes her father announced his presence with a honk. "I'M COMING!" she shouted out the open window. "...now I think that covers everything. Stove off...dishes clean...baby fed and changed. Okay, I think I'm good to go." She walked into the living room where her two sons were settled.

"Gohan I'm leaving now." She stated, standing in the doorway, then turned and began to walk away. But she suddenly stopped, and swiftly swirled around before marching up to the young man who sat comfortably on the sofa beside the pallid crib.

"Don't take your eyes off him while I'm gone young man!" she demanded, pointing a sharp finger inches away from her eldest sons nose.

Her mood abruptly changed and she smiled, but it wasn`t the smile teeming with sadness that graced her face for the last few months. It was a genuine tender smile filled with love, one that Gohan hadn't seen from her in quite some time. She planted a kiss on both of her boy's cheeks before heading for the door to make her departure.

"I won't," Gohan whispered under his breath as he watched his mother leave.

She opened the front door and cast a glance over her shoulder to get one final look at her children. She gave a parting smile and a slight wave of her hand. Gohan returned the heart filled smile and watched as she advanced out the door.

Time passed quickly as Gohan did some extra schoolwork and made something to eat - which wasn't much considering the lack of food – then proceeded to watch some TV. The baby remained quiet for the most part, only waking to attain something to eat. Gohan was relieved of that, he wasn't very eager to change any diapers. He _hated _changing diapers.

The demi-saiyan glanced up at the clock and took notice of how late it was. 3:30 pm. His mother should have returned by now. But he shrugged it off, he knew his mothers shopping habits and assumed she likely found a store having a sale and went on one of her shopping rampages while things were cheap.

/

Bulma handed the giggling lavender haired toddler to her mother as she stood up from the couch to grab the ringing phone on the other side of the living room.

"Hello?" She said into the receiver, still smiling at her child from across the room.

"Yes, this is Bulma Briefs. May I ask whose calling?" She furrowed her brows and nodded as the man spoke on other end of the line.

Then she froze.

Her eyes widened but she remained stiffly in place. She couldn't hear the voice on the phone talking to her anymore, or the sound of her mother coming up to her side and asking her what was wrong. Everything was silent. The only thing she could hear was the rhythm of her heart beating rapidly against her rib cage. She was completely incoherent, her senses were whirling, and the only thing her mind could focus on was the steady drumming of her heart.

Her mother now had her hand on her shoulder, shaking her lightly. "Bulma dear, what's wrong?"

Snapping slightly out of her fixation, the young women turned and peered into her mother`s eyes, then lowered her gaze down into the blue depths of the child that the elder women held in her arms.

Bulma attempted to speak but she found she couldn`t form any words. She hadn't realized she'd dropped the phone on the floor, or tears were leaking from her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

She was trapped in a daze as she stared into the shiny sapphires of her child. But realization struck her like a knife and she felt the frantically beating heart in her chest shattering like glass, jolting her with pain as the strands sliced into her. But these wounds weren't for the child who she was now peering at, no, her broken and bleeding heart was for a child she'd grown to know and love, and a new born baby who'd just been welcomed to the world.

/

Standing over his little brother's crib, Gohan smiled tenderly at the small fragile life beneath his gaze. He'd never seen anything so innocent and adorable in his life. Even though it was a time filled with stress, he was glad this chid was here to bring him some form of happiness.

Taking his eyes off the child, he glanced up at the clock that read 4:10 pm. A sudden sick feeling formed in the pit of his stomach. A chill ran down his spine that made him quiver. Something's not right, he thought.

He closed his eye and tried to shake it off. He took a few deep coaxing breathes, then seated himself back on the couch and pinned his eyes to the television. He ignored the strange feeling his body received.

/

Vegeta was shocked by the words spoken by the hectic blue haired women before him. He made his way into the house to see what all the commotion was about, and that's when she broke the news to him. He felt something, what was the word? Remorse...no, he never felt that. Pity might be a more appropriate choice of words. Whatever emotions he felt about the situation, it was strong for Kakarot's first born spawn.

Bulma abruptly stood up from her chair and fiercely wiped the tears from her face. She paced back and forth across the kitchen tiles.

"I have to tell him... I have to tell him. Oh god, I have to go over there and-"

"Women." Vegeta disrupted her rambling.

She halted her movement and stood in front of him, her eyes glossy with tears threatening to fall. "I have to tell a little boy who just watched his father die that his mother and grandfather are dead." She let out a choked sob and threw herself into Vegeta's arms, crying freely into his shoulder.

Vegeta stiffened, and sighed in irritation, but he did not attempt to struggle in her grip.

She released her hold on the saiyan and took a step back. She wiped her tear streaked face once more then walked toward the door. She grabbed her purse off the coat rack, not giving one thought about her appearance. She grasped the handle of the door in her hand and took a deep breath as she prepared herself to do possibly the worst thing in her life.

"Bulma, where are you going?" The Prince gruffly questioned, watching her closely.

The blue haired genius suddenly felt a surge of anger run through her, and she turned to glare at him.

"Where do you think I'm going Vegeta! I have to go do the worst possible thing that I could imagine, and I have no choice!" She snapped.

Vegeta let out a small chuckle that took her off guard. "You expect to go up to a saiyan child, tell him that both of his parents are now dead, and live to tell about it?"

Bulma raised her eyebrows, unsure of how to respond.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Women, if I know that child half as well as I think I do then he is not going to take this news lightly and will likely throw a tantrum or have a meltdown. Who knows what he's capable of if someone's not there to control him."

Bulma folded her arms and cocked her hip to the side. "Well, what are you waiting for? Quit standing around and come with me!"

"I do not take orders from humans."

"NOW VEGETA!" she shouted as she stormed out of the house.

/

Vegeta flew ahead of the flying device the women drove. He refused to travel in such a manner when he was perfectly capable of flying himself with twice the speed of that pathetic machine.

He felt the namekian's ki trailing behind him, and assumed Piccolo must have heard the news and had the same suspicions as himself. Kakarot's brat was not going to like what they had to tell him, and he knew deep inside what the boy would do. He knew what he was capable of; he saw it during his fight with Cell. But it wasn't just his fighting abilities that caught Vegeta's eye, no... it was the look in the boys eyes while he was doing it, a look Vegeta knew all too well.

It was a look of burning fury. The boy had eyes filled with hatred, vengeance. There was no trace of remorse or mercy, just the dominance of the utter passion to kill.

Vegeta knew that something so powerful couldn't just disappear with a blink of an eye. It still remained in the boy, but he must have buried it deep inside and ignored it somehow. Vegeta wasn`t certain of how long this submerging power existed within the boy, but that day during his epic clash with Cell, it was unleashed.

Seeing such a vicious bottomless power inside of a mere child was enough to alarm even Vegeta. And it was the element needed to kill the evil tyrant Cell, the inner darkness of an eleven-year-old boy.

After the fight was over and the battle was won, Vegeta presumed that the burning fury that was radiant in battle had been taken control over by the boy, and he managed to conceal it. But that didn't erase the disturbing sight cemented in Vegeta's memory, or the feeling he received at watching it unfold. He knew perfectly well that there was still something unsettling behind the innocent mask, something that if released without a firm grasp of control could lead to catastrophic results.

And this recent occurrence was enough of a trigger for such a thing to happen.

Gohan was far too emotional for Vegeta's liking; the demi-saiyan openly shared his ridiculous feelings of affection for his friends and family. He would laugh and cry in situations that Vegeta felt was improper for him to do so. A saiyan should never display such vulnerabilities, and Vegeta found it rather disgusting, even if the boy was only half-breed.

But it wasn't that surprising when you considered who the boy's father was. Having some type of mental deficiency was almost inevitable with the idiot's genes in him. That's why when Vegeta stood on the sidelines and watched the child he once saw as nothing but a useless waste of space accomplish what he and countless others failed to do and kill Cell, every muscle in his body was left rigid with shock. He would of never believed it if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes.

Did Vegeta possess the power to stop him if it was necessary? This was Kakarot's brat; of course he could stop him even if he did defeat Cell. But on the other hand, did he really want to stop the boy? He was one of the few remaining saiyans after all, and Vegeta knew all too well how it felt to lose ones parents, and his entire race for that matter. So why should he interfere?

Vegeta brushed all of these thoughts aside as their targeted destination came into view.

/

Bulma secured her plane back into its capsule and walked to where Vegeta stood up ahead with his back facing her. Piccolo landed behind them, crossing his arms as he closed the distance to join them. They turned towards him and the namekian gave them a slight nod of greeting. Bulma gave him a weary smile while Vegeta simply released a small grunt from the back of his throat.

"Lets get this over with," Vegeta stated evenly, looking blankly at the small house that stood in front of them in the secluded area.

Bulma took a deep breath in her attempt to clear her mind and keep her emotions intact. After a moment of stillness she cautiously took a step forward and another until she was standing in front of the closed door of the house. She hesitated, but swallowed her uncertainty and raised her fist to knock. Vegeta stepped forward and stood at her side, while Piccolo remained behind them.

Gohan stretched his arms that had become stiff from sitting stationary on the sofa for far too long. `Mom must need held carrying stuff in from the car,' he thought tiredly as he yawned. He took a quick glance at the infant whose chest raised and fell evenly as he slept. Gohan turned off the TV before heading for the front door.

As he swung the door opened he was taken off guard by who greeted him. Bulma stood on the doorstep with Vegeta standing off to her side with his arms crossed, while Piccolo stood firmly on the lawn behind them, his posture appearing even tenser than usual.

The first thought that crossed Gohan's mind as he saw Bulma was that she was here to see the baby. But when he took notice of Vegeta's presence, he became confused.

'What's going on, why is Vegeta here? And why does Bulma have that weird look on her face?' He mused as his eyes passed over the three of them. 'Could it be another enemy? Or... oh no, what if he's back? No, it can't be, that's impossible. He's gone, I made sure of it.'

He cast these thoughts aside as he looked into the blue orbs of the women before him. "Uhh... hey guys, what's up?"

Bulma's mouth twisted as she bit her lip. Once her sight landed on the source of her anxiety any words her mind managed to spur up died before they could form into anything beneficial. What was she going to say? Was there even a proper way to tell a child something like this?

She felt a sting in her eyes from the tears that were pressing to take over once again. But she quickly forced them back, persistent to fulfill what she was here to do.

'Keep it together. You can do this Bulma.' She tried to encouraged herself. After a moment of silence she cleared her throat.

Finding it difficult to hold eye contact with the raven haired boy, Bulma moved her eyes to her left and glanced at Vegeta, hoping for a little assistance in her struggle. But Vegeta wore his usual sharp frown as he looked at Gohan, appearing as though he didn't even notice the women's eyes on him.

Knowing it was up to her to do this, she turned back to Gohan. She felt her only option was to try and make this as subtle as possible. It took a valiant effort to keep the waver out of her voice, but she couldn't hide her sadness from her eyes. "Gohan, there's something we need to tell you."

Gohan's eyebrows raised, he could tell it was something important by the distress he thought was obvious on Bulma's face.

There was a moment of tense silence before Bulma continued, "There was an accident...earlier. Someone lost control of their vehicle on the highway a-and... i-it collided with your grandfather's car."

Gohan's chest tightened, the sick feeling that overwhelmed him moments ago returned. "Are they okay?" he asked hesitantly.

Bulma was silent once again, her eyes lowering to the ground between them. "Your m-mom, and grandfather...th-they...th..."

"They're dead." Vegeta bluntly finished for the struggling women. Bulma winced at his straightforwardness.

Gohan's heart stopped, every muscle in his body tensed. 'What? No...no they couldn't be...dead. She can't be, I just saw her. No, it can't be true.' He immediately scanned for the two familiar ki's, frantically searching for the signals that would reassure him that his family was fine. But he found nothing.

"Honey, I'm so sorry." Bulma offered sympathetically, watching as the boys dark eyes darted rapidly from side to side.

Gohan began to back away from the doorway, his eyes unfocused. Bulma carefully stepped forward, moving closer to the emotional child in hope of comforting him.

Panic began to rise inside of him, thrashing over his entire body like a wave. He aimed his wide eyes to the three people who were watching him closely. "Where are they? I can't sense them."

Vegeta's frown deepened, his eyes narrowing slightly. "They're dead boy."

Gohan's eyes met Piccolo's, and the namekian's usual cool expression was relaxed and filled with remorse. "I'm sorry Gohan, they're gone."

Gohan's eyes grew even wider and he shook his head. He took another timid step back, but was halted by the dining chair that his back made contact with.

"No, you're lying," he accused, his voice desperate and stricken. His hands curled into fists as he yelled. "WHY ARE YOU LYING!" The raise in voice woke the sleeping infant in the next room and provoked the child to wail.

Bulma took another hesitant step closer, her voice filled with concern as she spoke. "Gohan, we aren't lying to you. Just try to calm down."

'Why are they saying this? My mother's not dead, she's not. But I can't sense her... why?' His body began to tremble uncontrollably. He didn't notice his ki skyrocketing at a rapid rate.

"Women get out of the house." Vegeta's voice was unusually calm but it still carried its quality of demand.

"Huh?" Her blue orbs turned and peered at the prince quizzically.

"Get out now!" The much harsher tone commanded.

"Bu-"

Her appeal was cut short as a massive burst of energy threw her backwards. Vegeta moved and caught her before the gush slammed her into the wall. He pushed her out through the open door and turned back to face the twelve-year-old whose hair now blazed in vibrant gold.

Piccolo hastily entered the house. "Gohan calm down!" He shouted, but his words went unheard as the demi-saiyan's energy continued to excel.

The small house was briskly falling apart as it was violated from the inside. The prevailing pure energy sent a shower of shredded glass through the air as windows shattered. Cracks sliced through the floorboards and rippled up the walls as the structure was frail in its defence against the straining hue of energy.

Through all of this, the faint sound of an infant's sobs could still be heard.

Seeing what was unfolding, Vegeta raised his own energy and transformed into a super saiyan. He then stepped forward with objective and pushed an arm through the electric hue to grab the young boy by the throat. Without hesitation he raised the child off the floor and chucked him toward the wall. The force sent the child straight through the structure, landing outside in the unrestricted air.

Gohan stumbled at the impact, but managed to keep his footing as he firmly planted himself on the earth's surface. He didn't appear to comprehend what was occurring. He clenched his fists tightly and without warning he released a piercing scream. Blue streaks of electricity crackled as he ascended. The air whirled violently as a mighty golden aura radiated around him. His ki continued to climb furiously, its force disrupting the surrounding environment.

Vegeta and Piccolo quickly climbed out through the hefty hole that now graced the side of the house.

"GOHAN STOP THIS NOW!" Piccolo's request was useless. Vegeta increased his power as he watched. He was about to rush forward and put an end to this when he was stopped by the women's loud voice.

"The dragonballs!"

Vegeta and Piccolo turned to the blue haired women who stood by the house with wide eyes. "We'll use the dragonballs to wish them back," she continued,"its been over a year now since we've used them."

Vegeta and Piccolo were eyeing her sceptically, but they both turned sharply as they felt the vigorous energy behind them begin to descend. The three of them watched the golden spiky locks transfer back to its dark shade, and the thick energy in the air vaporized. The demi-saiyan's posture deflated as his head hung low and his shoulders slumped forward. His dark eyes were cast downward as he stared hazily at the ground. There was a long stretch of uneasy stillness, and then the child breathed out a single word.

"Okay."

/

It had taken five days to gather all seven dragonballs, which was extremely efficient considering they didn't have the luxury of having Goku's Instant Transmission technique. Gohan never stopped for breaks or took a moment to rest. He barely closed his eyes the entire time, his mind plagued with both anxiety and anticipation.

Bulma had stayed behind and watched Goten and Trunks while Gohan, Piccolo, and surprisingly Vegeta gathered the dragonballs. It was a quiet and solemn trip, but with the task complete they now stood on the front lawn of Capsule Corp. with the seven golden orbs lying before them.

Bulma came out of the house holding her godchild in her arms, while her parents trailed behind with Trunks in their care.

"Well that was fast," Bulma said, trying to ease the tension. "Okay, go ahead Gohan."

The three fighters took a few steps back. And without hesitation, Gohan looked to the sky and shouted, "SHENRON ARISE!"

A sudden blinding light made all the surrounding spectators shield their eyes. The sky was overtaken by a sudden darkness, and the familiar murky green dragon emerged from the glowing orbs.

"Choose your words wisely. I will grant you two wishes."

Gohan made sure to carefully choose his words. He decided to use the first wish to bring his mother back, and the second to bring his grandfather. "I wish my mother, Son ChiChi, back to life!"

Shenron's eyes began to glow, then after a moment they fazed back to their natural red color. The dragon's deep voice spoke once again. "It cannot be done."

Gohan breath hitched and his eyes widened. 'What? What is he talking about!' He was about to voice his question when Bulma stole the words out of his mouth.

"WHAT! What do you mean it can't be done! We haven't made that wish before!" She shouted.

Shenron himself looked as though he was searching for an answer. The large dragon remained silent for a long moment, making the tension vibrating in the air more uneasy, until he finally spoke again.

"The one you call ChiChi has said she is fine where she is, and for you all to take care."

If it was possible for the world to collapse and shatter into a million pieces, then Gohan felt it would have happen at that precise moment. It felt like someone had stabbed a dagger through his heart. He felt his mouth go dry as the air was stolen from his lungs. That was the last thing the twelve-year-old was prepared to hear, that his mother had chosen not to come back to him, just like his father had.

Every fibre in his being began to shake in spasms. His mind searched for some sort of explanation. 'She...doesn't want to come back? But...she's my mother, why wouldn't see come back? Am I that...horrible? Am I that awful of a son that both of my parents would rather be dead then have to raise me? Am I that much of a failure that I put my own parents to shame? But everything I've done has been for them, for my family. I've done everything they've asked of me my entire life. I tried to become the perfect warrior for my father, and I studied hard to become the scholar my mother wanted me to be. Why wasn't it enough?'

The world became blurry, and he felt warm tears bring to trail down his face. 'I'm sorry mother. I shouldn't have made you go shopping; I shouldn't have been such a nuisance. I'm sorry I hadn't been the intelligent young man you wanted me to be. And now you're dead...all because of me.'

Everyone was silent, Piccolo and Vegeta were looking at the traumatized boy, while Bulma sadly told the dragon to save the wishes.

The dragon disappeared and the darkness dissolved from the sky. The world's appearance returned back to normal, but the only thing that could be heard was the whistling of the wind as no one dared to make a sound.

Gohan clenched his eyes shut, drawing his shaking hands at his sides into tight fists. 'Why wouldn't she come back? Had she stayed in the other world because... of my father? So she could be with him?'

Suddenly the overwhelming pain transformed into anger. 'Did he ask her to stay there? Did he want her to abandon me just like he did? No, he wouldn't, why would he? To punish me? To torture me?'

Gohan's eyes shot open, his once dark orbs were now a lifeless sapphire. His raven hair began to flicker gold.

Bulma backed away from the boy, seeing the crazed look in his eyes. Vegeta and Piccolo stood their ground a few feet away.

All Gohan could see was red, and with an enraged scream he escalated his ki and transformed. His power accelerated more rapidly than it had a week prior. Rage overtook his senses and blinded him from reality, he couldn't take it anymore.

He had reached his limit.

Both Vegeta and Piccolo powered up to allow themselves to remain as close to the demi-saiyan as possible. Piccolo was shouting his name, but nothing could be heard now, nothing mattered now.

Blue electricity began to spark and stretch through the thrashing wind. The fabric of the surrounding spectators' clothing flailed from the intense wind, and they had to squint their eyes to see through the golden aura to the glowing boy that stood in the center.

**"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT!****?****"** The strained voice was almost unrecognizable through the reigning light.

"AHHH!"

The ground sank and a crater formed around the radiated boy, growing wider and steeper with each passing second.

Vegeta eyes were wide and illuminated by the light. He had to shout to the person standing next to him to be heard over the noise "Dammit he needs to stop! He'll blow the entire planet!"

"We need to calm him down!" Piccolos yelled roughly.

"How the hell do you propose we do that? Offer him some candy? He can't even hear us!" Vegeta claimed, "We've only got one choice."

And with that said, Vegeta transformed and threw a ki blast at the boy, but clearing had no effect as it was easily absorbed by the prevailing energy.

He lowered his stance and prepared to surge forward and take the brat out, but a cracking sound seized his attention. He lowered his head and spotted the gravel between his parted feet breaking, and the earth's surface shaking sharply. He slowly lifted his eyes, and couldn't stop them from widening with horror at the sight before him.

Gohan had his right arm extended upward toward the heavens above, and in the palm of his hand he held a mighty blue orb of energy.

He wasn't bluffing. There was no sign of searching compromise in his demeanor or trepidation in his movements. He wasn't worried about bringing harm to the planet with his superb power this time, that was what he was aiming for.

"GOHAN WAIT!" Piccolo screamed in desperation.

But not even his former mentor's pleads could stop him now, nothing could.

The crimson red still had full control over his senses. All he wanted was for the misery to end. He called upon any and all gods, spirits, powers and begged that they would find him mercy and make the pain go away. Why must he be the one to suffer so? Why was this planet infecting him with this disease of torment when all he'd done was protect it?

He didn't have the answer to these questions, but what he did know was that he was going to return the favor. He wasn't going to stick around and search for an answer; he was going to put an end to this, and he was going to do it now.

And as he held the power of the earth's destruction in the palm of his hand, Gohan felt absolutely nothing. He was just an empty shell now that bared a burnt out soul.

Suddenly the red haze that blocked every sight, sound, and smell around him slowly began to clear. He could hear something in the distance, but what was it? The high pitch sound became louder and louder as his vision became clearer. As the haze completely dissolved, his senses finally recognized the sound.

It was a baby crying.

What was a baby doing in hell? Surely that's where he must be. It had to be the only place that could make one feel such infernal agony, a place where it seemed the higher spirits believed he deserved to be.

He slowly slid his heavy lids open, and looked around questionably. Where was he? What happened?

Then his eyes looked across the concerned faces of those in front of him.

And then he remembered.

Anger immediately began to build up inside of him once again. But then he heard a sound, the same sound that removed him from his disconnected state. His eyes came into focus, and he looked down to the source of the noise that was held in the arms of one of those who was watching him closely.

He knew that child...

'_Goten'_

His heart began to race. What was he doing? How could he be so blind? He wasn't the only one here who lost his mother, his parents. Goten was left deserted and alone just like he was. How could someone leave an innocent and helpless child like that?

He felt the rage within escalate again, but he smothered the spark before it could expand. He couldn't do this. He couldn't let his own pain and frustration effect a child who's done nothing wrong. He was the failure here, and this child didn't deserve to suffer for his own mistakes.

More importantly, he couldn't just abandon the child like they had so carelessly done. He himself had suffered through so many horrible things growing up, but this child was... precious. He didn't want anyone especially this child to have to go down the same path he had. His entire purpose gravitated around what everyone else wanted, and fulfilling his parents own ambitions without a choice.

The bright aura of energy emitting from the demi-saiyan lost its lust, and the winds pace slowed, lifting the feeling of an immediate threat from the air.

Gohan took a step forward, keeping his eyes fixed on the sight of the child. The others watched him attentively as he moved closer, and then reached out to carefully take the tiny infant in his arms.

Bulma could only gape at him, unable to question his actions as he took the child from her. Piccolo and Vegeta were both examining the boy critically who only seconds ago looked as though he was prepared to destroy every living thing in his path.

Gohan's sapphire eyes hadn't lifted from the now silent infant he held close to his chest. He turned from the others and began to walk away without a word while the others watched him tensely.

He stopped walking, and after what felt like an eternity he finally lifted his gaze from the life in his arms and turned back around to his silent observers who were boring holes in the back of his head.

He narrowed his eyes in a dangerous fashion that appeared more intense with the lifeless color they now held. He directed his gaze toward Piccolo and Vegeta, looking from one warrior to the other.

His voice was cold and low when he spoke. "Don't follow me, or I _will_ kill you."

With those words of warning, Gohan catapulted to the sky leaving the onlookers in a cloud of dust.

They didn't dare to test the boy's threat.

/

Gohan glided aimlessly over the rugged mountains. He generated warmth with his ki to protect the life in his arms from the opposing winds. His eyes were unfocused as he allowed his subconscious to guide him.

Time may have been long forgotten by this point but that didn't stop it from moving forward. Eventually Gohan finally lowered his chin and took in the landscape below, and he found himself hovering over a familiar area.

He lowered himself down to the barren landscape, and landed on the edge of a small cliff that bordered a cave held in the rocky remains. He had been here a few times before, first discovering it when he'd gotten caught up in a storm while he was out training and needed to find shelter.

He made sure there were no wild creatures taking refuge inside before entering the small dark cave. He looked down at the tiny face amongst the bundled blanket in his arms, seeing the soft features relaxed as the infant slept soundly.

He stepped further into the shadows of the cave until he reached the opposite rocky wall. Stones of many shapes and sizes were aligned on the gravelled floor, and Gohan sighted one that's surface was smooth and well hidden. He carefully placed the infant against the hard stone, using the fabric of the blanket to give him comfort and protection. Gohan straightened up and peered down, making sure the child didn't stir. When there was no sign of disruption from the other, Gohan turned and exited the cave.

The rocky plains were dreary and cold as the sun gave one final flare of lust before falling, allowing the colorful hues of the evening sky be replaced by a blanket of darkness.

The cool breeze brushed through the sharp golden locks that contrasted with the dusky air. Gohan's eyes were closed as he allowed the coldness to sweep over him. He lowered his head, feeling the events that had transpired finally take its toll.

Exhaustion began to set in and he felt his willpower drain. It felt like every part of him had been broken. The orb of positive energy inside of him, that seemed to grow smaller and smaller each passing day, was now gone. He never felt this expelled before, even after his fight with Cell.

He never felt so completely defeated in his entire life. There was no one here to aid him now. The only company he had was his own thoughts.

"Father, I don't understand," he whispered into the night, "I've spent my entire life fighting for this planet by your side. I killed Cell. And this is my reward. Why?...why me?"

He felt the raise of his burning fury hinder the cool air from reaching him. His teeth clamped together and his hands tightened into fists.

"No more, I won't do it anymore, not if this is what you are going to do to me. You've been pushing and pushing me past my limits my entire life, even when I begged you not to. But not anymore, not for you. You did this to me... I WON'T DO IT ANYMORE!"

He fell to his knees and yelled. He raised his fists and punched the ground in front of him, shattering the gravel with the force.

He breathed heavily as he remained hunched over on his hands and knees. He just wanted the pain to stop. He wanted it all to end. He devoted his entire life to helping others. He thought it was his responsibility to honor his father. But now he realized - it wasn't. All the battles, all the death and destruction he had faced - he never let it faze him. He remained happy because his friends and family were worth, life was worth it.

But now it was all over. He would stop ignoring the voice in the back of his mind telling him all the good he was doing was pointless, that it wasn't his purpose. He wasn't meant to be the hero, so he would stop pretending to be one.

He wished he could just die and take everything that made him feel this way with him. But that wasn't an option, not now. Fate had handed him a new purpose that he must fulfill, and he would do it. This time he wasn't doing a task for everyone else, he was doing it for himself and the only other person who was as alone and vulnerable as he was.

Gohan slowly picked himself up off the ground, and turned to walk back into the cave on shaky legs.

Once inside, he hovered over the tiny fragile infant bundled up against the solid stone. As soon as his eyes met the small child, every ounce of rage that compelled his body drained away.

He moved to sit down, pressing his back against the rigid wall and gently reaching out to pick up the child. Once Goten was securely in his arms, the infants eyelids fluttered open, revealing chestnut orbs that gazed up at his older brother. Gohan managed to form his lips into a small smile as his mirroring orbs gazed back.

"Hey little guy, sorry if I scared you earlier." Gohan whispered, "Just know that I would never hurt you. I will never let anyone or anything hurt you. I promise you that."

The baby stirred slightly in his arms; Gohan began to tenderly cradle him back and forth.

"I guess it's just you and me now, but we'll be okay because we've got each other. That's all we really need, right?"

Gohan tried to swallow the lump in his throat. He felt his deep emotions rush to the surface and he couldn't control the tears from escaping his eyes as he was lost in the innocent eyes of his baby brother.

"I will never let you go. I'll always be there to protect you from all the bad things in this world," he shakily promised. "My life is in your hands now little guy, you don't have to worry about anything."

Those were the last tears Son Gohan shed, the last time he showed any vulnerability to the world. At that moment, he knew what his destiny had in store for him, and it centered around the small life he held dearly in his arms.

* * *

Two hours later and I am still lying here staring blankly up at the ceiling. I know my body is physically exhausted but my mind is restless. Usually when I'm like this I have no choice but to get up and kill myself with training to the point of being incapable of standing on my own two feet, then my mind can no longer deny me the rest I need. But tonight I refuse to move a muscle, having this feeling of nothingness wash over me is somewhat... soothing. It's like my body is sleeping while my mind is still fully alert.

A squeaking sound grabbed my attention, and I turned my head toward the door that had opened slightly.

A tiny pale face with wild spikes framing it poked through the crack of the open door. His dark orbs peered through the darkness towards the bed. Once he saw my face and noticed I was awake and looking at him, he slowly pushed the door open wider.

The only source of light was the moon's glow prying through the window on the other side of the room as he stood in the doorway.

He raised a fist and rubbed it over his eye and yawned. "Daddy?" he whispered.

"What is it kiddo?" I whispered back. Even though we're the only ones here the silence of the night seems to make only hushed noises seem permitted.

His big round orbs blinked up at me, and he fiddled with his hands before he spoke. "Hadda bad dream."

I offered him a reassuring smile and shifted to the side of bed. I lowered my right arm from behind my head to pat the empty space beside me.

He gave me a small smile and slowly approached. His tiny feet patted against the hardwood floor before he hopped onto the bed.

He moved to lie beside me, and I circled an arm around him to bring his tiny torso closer. He snuggled into my side and draped one of his tiny arms across my chest. I pulled the covers up over him, and lightly rubbed his back with my palm.

His eyes were closed, but my own remained opened as I stared down at the four-year-old in my arms. I still found it incredible that something so small that didn't even exist a few years ago, could mean everything to me.

Silence filled the room once again. I turned my eyes back toward the white ceiling, but still felt his warm breath steep through the fabric of my shirt. My lids grew heavy and my eyes slowly slipped shut.

"Daddy?" The soft sound of his voice made me draw my eyes open. When I looked down at him I noticed his eyes were still closed.

"Yeah?" I whispered, unsure if I just imagined he had spoken or not.

"I love you."

I felt my chest tighten and my breath catch. A warmness swelled in my heart, and I allowed myself to relax and smile. "I love you too."

He shifted slightly, and after a few quiet minutes his body stiffened and he was asleep.

My body felt more at ease than it did only minutes prior, and whatever was keeping me awake seemed to have disappeared. A wave of drowsiness swept over me and I shut my eyes again. And for the first time in a long time, my mind calmly fell into a deep peaceful slumber.

* * *

Man, am I exhausted! *passes out*

So, what did you think? Kind of a heavy first chapter I know. **REVIEW! Please :)**


	2. 17 Is Just A Number

A/N: Thanks to everyone that reviewed the first chapter, it really means a lot to me and it made me try to get this chapter up asap.

So I thought I'd let you know that yes this story will contain lethal doses of **action** &** drama**... hope you can handle that. ^_^

I'm not quite sure how long this story is going to be yet, but I'm going to try not to rush through it because I want to do a good job. :)

So here's another long chapter & please review!

* * *

**Chapter 2: 17 Is Just a Number**

I slightly parted my eyes but instantly forced them shut as the sun shined its glory through my bedroom window, burning my eyes with its intensity. I let out a muffled groan and buried my face into my pillow.

It was one of the few rare occasions where I was taken deep into the dreamless depths of sleep without a stir, and would of preferred to have stayed there a little longer. I turned my body away from the source of my undesired conscious state. This is what I get for forgetting to close the blinds I guess.

I skimmed my palm over the wrinkled sheets next to me, my hand venturing over the span of the bed but discovering nothing on its journey. Didn't Goten come in here last night, or did I dream that? I didn't take the risk of opening my eyes again to find an answer. I pressed my face deeper into the comfortable cotton of my pillow as I lay sprawled out on my stomach.

I blindly swiped an outstretched arm along the mattress one last time but still found no other presence. I shouldn't be surprised, if the sun was up then so was Goten. Not yet retaining the energy to move my limbs and separate myself from the comfort of my bed, I found myself easily lulling back into the empty darkness...

"DAD!"

The loud high pitch voice next to my ear vibrated through my head, knocking the drowsiness out of me. I snapped my head up with a start and opened my eyes to a world of blurriness.

I grimaced and sealed my lids with a tight squeeze, flopping my head back down onto the pillow and groaning into the fabric. The thought of rest slipped from the bounds of my mind, and with great reluctance, I slowly turned to lay on my side.

I used caution this time as I tentatively opened my eyes, even though I knew I was facing away from the window. When the mush of the blurry world cleared and my vision adjusted, I was greeted with the sight of the four-year-old grinning madly at me.

"What is it kiddo?" I mumbled, my voice raspy and dry. "Did you make me breakfast in bed?" I couldn't help but smirk at his sudden look of confusion, but his grin quickly returned and he shook his head.

"No, it's SUNDAY!"

I cocked an eyebrow, wondering what the sudden spur of excitement over Sunday was for. "So...?"

"I'm suppose to play with Trunks today, remember!" He exclaimed a little too loudly, bouncing up and down like it was the news of the century.

Ah. Trunks... I should have known.

Ever since Goten turned three, he and Trunks have had their regular 'play' time. It was Bulma's idea to have the boys spend time together, although I knew it was more so for her own personal benefit then theirs.

It was her desperate attempt to be involved in mine and Goten's lives as much as possible. But I never opposed to the idea; I knew friendship was an important aspect of childhood, and living in such a remote area limited Goten's sociability.

I was never given the chance to make any _real_ friends growing up - to share a bond with ones close to your age who you can share experiences, dreams and feelings with. That was something I never had, but I guess I never had a _real_ childhood either. So it was an easy decision to make to allow Goten the opportunity to have that. I had to make sure I offered him the carefree and joyful childhood he deserved.

That day I made the promise to give Goten everything I never had, I meant it.

I was well aware of the fact that I wouldn't be able to place him in a public school when the time came, considering the lack of control and understanding he had over his 'gifts'. Having witnessed his rather rough handling of animals, I didn't think having him 'accidentally' severely injure another chibi would be such a great idea. Hell, I wasn't sure if I was even legally obligated to have custody over him,...like that held any meaning to me.

I was glad he had Trunks to grow up with, he was lucky to have another half saiyan as a combatant to journey and discover with. Goten had become quite fond of Trunks over the past year and a half, which I couldn't disagree with, Trunks is an awesome kid. Granted, he could be a handful at times with his deviant mind and mischievous games, but can you really blame the kid when you looked at who his parents are?

When I watch the two of them together, I'd be lying to myself if I said the thought never crossed my mind that maybe...things could have been different for me if I had someone like Trunks when I was younger, or had anyone for that matter. But I instinctively toss those thoughts aside before I even consider them - the past is the past, what's done is done. The only thing I could do now was to ensure my bitter history wasn't repeated through Goten. I had to make sure he held on to the innocence that had been ripped away from me.

Focusing my mind back to the present, I laughed at the chibi standing before me questioning my memory when I know perfectly well he hadn't mentioned anything regarding these plans before this very moment. For a four-year-old, Goten had an extremely short attention span. He would forget things almost instantly if something else caught his attention, which ninety percent of time was food.

"Hm...sorry little man, it must of slipped my mind." I lied.

He looked at me like I just deeply insulted him. "Bulma's going to be here at 9:30!" He cried, throwing his arms about to emphasize his point.

I chuckled, propping myself up on my elbow. "Are you guys going to her house or staying here?" It's funny how my entire day revolves around his plans.

"We're going to Trunks' house."

"Okay, go get ready, you only have -" I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand, "twenty minutes, go, go, go."

He grinned, then turned and high-tailed it out of the room. I yawned lazily and dropped back down to the mattress. I stretched my arms over my head, and then stared up at the ceiling as I waited for him to return.

About fifteen minutes later he bounced back into the room fully dressed and ready to go. He wore light green pants and a loose white T-shirt over his small torso, his raven hair standing up wildly in its usual fashion. I always wondered if my hair would have looked similar when I was his age if my mother hadn't been persistent on keeping it short.

I sensed Trunks' and Bulma's ki's outside and I moved to sit up. I rested my back against the headboard and widely outstretched my arms with a lazy half smile. He read the familiar gesture and leaped onto the bed before hopping into my open arms.

I circled my arms around his small frame and squeezed him in a tight embrace. We stayed like that for a moment before I slowly slackened my grip and lowered my arms. He took a step back, his small feet sinking into the mattress as he stood up, making our eyes level.

"All ready to go?" I asked, and he nodded. The strong mint essence of his breath told me he already brushed his teeth so I didn't bother to ask.

I raised a hand to ruffle through his spikes. "Be good and listen to Bulma, alright?" I only say Bulma because she's the likely candidate to be watching them. Bulma's parents were usually around, but I highly doubted they handled the two hyperactive demi-saiyans. As for Vegeta, you'd be lucky to find him in the same room as the two of them let alone carrying out the babysitting duties.

I hadn't seen much of Vegeta over the past few years. I would spar with him on the odd occasion when I went to Capsule Corp. to get Goten, which I presumed was only because he was bored of his everlasting gravity room training sessions. Neither of us went out of our way to train with one another though, only went the opportunity presented itself.

I thought it was a good thing for him to stay here on earth with Bulma and Trunks, though it's not like he had a whole lot of other places to go. It would be difficult for the average person to notice, but Vegeta really had softened up over the years. The change was undeniable from when he first came to earth, and I couldn't help but feel Mirai Trunks played a part in that.

I was somewhat curious as to how he felt about Goten hanging around Capsule Corp. with Trunks. I was fine with it, but something told me Vegeta would have a more difficult time allowing his son to be friends with his rival's son. I doubt he really cared that much though, the only thing Goten ever told me was that Vegeta always called him a 'Kakarot's brat.' He asked me what it meant, but I just told him not to worry about it and if Vegeta called him it again then he could call him Uncle Vegeta.

"I will," Goten assured with his everlasting smile. He gave me one final hug before hopping off the bed and heading for the door. When he reached the open doorway, he quickly spun back around to face me.

All I could do was return the smile to the small boy gazing up at me with those big round puppy dog eyes. It really was a whole new experience raising a child. I had no idea what I was getting myself into in the beginning. When I first decided I was going to raise Goten on my own, I had a very protective mindset. I thought it was my obligation to shield him from everything. I hadn't even considered the fact that I would be teaching him and introducing him to this world as well.

I watched the small fragile infant I once held in my arms grow everyday and perceive aspects of the world for the first time. His evolving mind was always plagued with curiosity, constantly asking 'what's this?' or 'how does that work?' It was fascinating to watch his face light up at the most simplest things in life that most people took for granted.

"Bye Daddy, love ya."

"Love you too, now get going." I grabbed the pillow next to me and chucked it toward him. He of course dodged the oncoming object with ease, only giggling in response.

"If Bulma asks for me just tell her I'm still in bed." He nodded and aimed his broad smile at me one last time before waving and leaving the room.

When my mother died, I think Bulma assumed it was her responsibility to take care of me and Goten. Even after I took off that day, she told me to pack our stuff and come to Capsule Corp. with her. But when I declined she seemed surprised, and when she realized I was serious she insisted that it was the best option. But I still quickly turned her down.

But Bulma is the type of person who's use to getting what she wants and doesn't know when to just back off. So when every persuasive tactic she came up with didn't work on me, she turned to outright begging. When she finally realized I wasn't going to budge, she still wasn't going to let me off the hook that easily - she had to lend me a hand one way or another.

So she supplied me with all the basic essentials that I needed. She gave me some cash and a capsule house filled with appliances. I really didn't want to accept her help, but at the time I didn't have much of a choice. I was a twelve-year-old with a baby to take care of with nowhere to live and no money. All I had was the clothes on my back and a house that I would never find it in me to return to.

She handed me a metal case that held four capsules containing items such as baby supplies, food, clothing, a computer and other accessories. I made it clear that the only way I was going to accept any of it was if she agreed to allow me to pay her back when I was capable of doing so. She was reluctant to bargain with me at first, trying to reason that these were 'gifts from a friend.' But when I realized just how stubborn the women was, we came up with conditions that we both agreed to. I would only have to pay back the money she had given me and the rest were 'gifts.'

Bulma was one of the few people I ever accepted anything from, and that was only because I knew she was filthy rich so she could spare it. However I did in fact pay every dime back to her, and was fully supporting myself and Goten on my own accord without her or anyone else's charity over the next few years.

I couldn't really get a job because I had Goten to take care of and I was still rather young. So using the computer Bulma supplied me with I discovered methods to bring in more than enough income to support us.

No, I didn't become a hardcore gambler or commit frauds. First, I had essentially stumbled upon an online newspaper that was hiring a journalist for their web based newspaper. And with the use of a fake identity, I was working for a news business by writing articles about random current events. With that job and other online methods I was making a decent weekly salary.

I made sure to balance my flexible work schedule with my studies, and I had pretty well covered all the necessary high school academics by the time I was fifteen, while completing a few college level courses on the side. I wouldn't call myself a nerd, just relatively intelligent.

Okay, yes I was smart, but I blame half of my acute skills on my mother's overly aggressive nature when it came to my studying. I honestly didn't know why she pushed me as hard as she did; I had always been a naturally smart kid.

One day however, to my extreme annoyance, Bulma took it upon herself to get someone to _hack_ into my database and go through all my personal information on my computer. Was I surprised? No, not at all. Was I upset? Hell yes I was.

When I confronted her about it, and not too lightly I might add, she said she was just checking up on me because she was 'worried.' After having a few choice words for her, she surprised me to say the least by offering me to work for Capsule Corp. At first, I thought it was stupid of her to even suggest it, and I told her that. But she had me intrigued when she started to discuss the details of the position. She told me I could work from home like I had been previously doing, and would be making double the income I was making under my fake name.

And against my better judgment, I found myself accepting yet another one of her offers. Having a pay check with my real name written on it seemed a little more appealing, and it didn't make me feel like such a criminal when I was cashing it.

So that's where I am now, successfully supporting myself and Goten by working for one of the largest corporations in the world.

Even though all of those things were rather important factors in my life, they weren't on the top of my list of priorities. Besides Goten, the major element in my life was martial arts. To this day I still continued to fight and train. I never gave it up. I would say I spend more time training now than I ever did when I was younger.

Back then it was different, I never did it by choice, it was always forced upon me when I didn't necessarily want it. But now, it's as though it's apart of who I am, it's like I _need _it to survive like the air I breathe. It's what keeps my mind and body at ease and grants me the power to get up every morning and do what I need to for Goten.

Four years ago, when I had reached my limit, when my mind, body and soul were being devoured by the dark heated flames that burnt with the same venomous intentions the foes of my past carried – to see the execution of every living thing that walked this earth… that enigma didn't just disappear. Those toxic flames didn't just burn out and leave ashes in its wake, and all of the blinding fury that poisoned like venom in my veins didn't simply dissolve away like it was cured.

I wish that was the case. But in reality, I truly think that this dark riling energy trapped inside of me grows along with every other part of me over each passing year. The only way I manage to keep it dormant in the shadows within me is the combination of Goten and training. Those two components in my life keep me composed and stops the spur of cynical thoughts from overwhelming me.

But I won't lie…some days I can feel myself slipping. Days when the pressure becomes too unbarring and makes the red haze that creeps into the corners of my vision look appealing. Sometimes an unwelcome memory seeps through the cracks of my mental barriers and clings to my mind like a plague, and words spoken by another person rattles the rage that's hidden down in the deepest darkest pit within me.

I know I'm not as stable as I come across. On the surface I might not carry any decisive scars or wounds, but on the inside there's a constant raging war playing out. The dark force inside of me is always trying to escape into the parts of me that I now keep hollow, and will its way to the surface again. The simple things are the ones that always seems to attack and try to slip through my defenses, but that's all that's needed to make that dark force within me mutate and penetrate my inner barrier.

I've never hurt anyone, and nothing has come close to driving me to even consider allowing that shaft of flames to be set free again. I'd used Piccolo as a punching bag to channel my aggression on a few occasions so the ball of anger doesn't mold itself into something visible to anyone other than me.

I won't allow my temper to be the vice that causes me to slip back into that uncontrollable state of pure and raw grim energy again. Knowing you hold a power inside of you that's strong enough to kill anyone on this planet is just as much of a curse as it is a blessing.

I rubbed the sleep from eyes and moved to sit up as I heard the front door shut. I pushed the covers away and swung my legs over the side of the bed. I worked the kinks out of my neck and already knew how I was going to spend my day. Today I would do what I normally do when I was on my own - get in a vigorous day of training.

It wasn't like I didn't train when Goten was around, it's just that Goten isn't one to simply stand on the sidelines and quietly observe, he jumps in the middle of the action and practically demands to be a part of what I'm doing even when he has no idea what it is. The only time I'm able to get in some solid training without having to hold back is when he's asleep or with Trunks.

I stood up and stretched my muscles, hearing my joints crack as I did so. It was pointless to take a shower before training, so I merely ran a hand through me hair and walked over to my dresser. I leaned downed and pulled the bottom drawer open and grabbed the freshly cleaned navy gi inside. It was the color I normally wore these days.

It probably would of been smart to grab something to snack on first, but instead I headed straight out after I changed into my gi.

Once I exited the house, I instantly took a deep breath and filled my lungs with the fresh morning air. I bathed in the scent of pine and maple as the subtle breeze feathered across my face and through my hair. Dawn always seemed to powder nature with a coating of tranquility, and it rolled over me like the wind, brushing away any traces of tension and leaving me with a warm sense of relaxation.

I titled my head up towards to luminous sun, and it felt like a promising day was in the forecast. I stood there for a few moments, relishing in the unusual feeling of peace, before quickly rising to the air.

The long endless stretch of the sky was cloudless and clear as I flew a short distance to the common grounds of my training. I dropped down into a clearing that was surrounded by the thick mob of woods.

I landed smoothly as I planted my feet onto the grass covered land, and scanned my eyes over the evergreen forest. Birds chirped their morning cheers as the sun's radiant rays steeped through the arms of the tall trees, highlighting the usually shady area.

I turned my head to side as my senses narrowed in on another presence, and my lips curved slightly as I immediately recognized who it was. How did he know I was going to be here this morning?

His casual appearances were normal, but I generally paid no mind to him and left him to think he was well hidden and unnoticed.

As I felt him moving closer, I thought he must have come here to actually train today instead of just watching me from a distance. But he stopped when he drew near, not entering the clearing.

I stood unmoving in the center of the small flat compass of land, furrowing my brows and feeling slightly irked. I had actually felt a very rare sensation of peace this morning, but that was quickly drifting away into the net of the surrounding woods. What was he doing?

I wasn't feeling up to playing any games, so I didn't bother wasting any time standing around.

My voice cut through the silence, a hint of irritation in my tone as I spoke loud enough for him to hear me. "If you plan on hiding in the shadows, I suggest you do a better job than that."

There was a moment of stillness, and then the tall figure emerged from the shades of the trees, his long narrow shoes rustling through the grass as he stepped into view.

His skin blended in with the surrounding shade of color as he stood firmly with his arms crossed, looking as smug as the day I met him. He didn't speak, only stood there and eyed me intently like I was the one who had just barged in on his training session. Was there a reason why he was here or was he just purposely trying to annoy me?

I locked my eyes onto his, matching his intensity. I didn't mind his company when he came to spar, but by the look in his eye, I knew that wasn't his intention today.

I felt my patients warring thin when he still didn't speak, so I took the initiative; my voice was quiet but loud enough for him to hear as it drifted through the dense air between us.

"What do you want?"

It was blunt, but he was the one who sought me out after all. He didn't even blink, keeping our staring contest locked as he stood in his statuary pose like he didn't even hear me – which I knew he did.

His eyes finally broke away from mine, and they flickered over me like he was studying me. When his eyes rose back to mine, he finally spoke in his deep flat tone. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"

"Hmph" I was the one to break our gazes this time, casting my glance to the forest behind him. I didn't bother pointing out that outright staring at someone wasn't much of a greeting either.

He took a few steps further into the clearing, not taking his eyes off of me. I didn't meet his gaze this time as I looked off into the dim forest, but I watched him in my peripheral vision.

"It's been a long time kid. I haven't talked to you in a while." I scowled at the familiar nickname 'kid.' You'd think he'd know that that was the last thing I wanted to be called.

"What is there to talk about?" I asked blandly, but I knew he was right; we hadn't talked for a long time, not like we use to. These days the only time I saw him was when we were aggressively attacking one another, which in truth wasn't that often. I never sought him out to spar, but if he came by I wouldn't shy away from him, and little words were exchanged during those times.

Piccolo was basically the only one I ever truly talked to when I was a kid, particularly in the moments when I was vulnerable and broken. Those were the days when I openly wore my emotions on my sleeve; a motion that is foreign to me now. We had a rocky beginning when he first became my mentor, but over the stretch of time he spent training me, and the battles we faced side by side, you could say we became...friends.

Piccolo was always someone I had a tremendous amount of respect for, someone who I looked up to as a role model. The day he gave his life to save my own was the day he surpassed my father as the one I idolized. Having someone save _my_ life by sacrificing theirs caused a storm of emotions to flood through me, emotions that I had never felt before.

I think that's the reason why out of everyone, I could never completely shun Piccolo out of my life, because deep down I knew that _he_ really did care about me, and I was only sure of that because I had witnessed it with my own eyes.

But over the past few years I had withdrawn myself from everyone and everything...including Piccolo. I refused to lower my barrier, to let anyone see behind the mask. But in fairness, I knew I couldn't. I knew it wasn't safe for me to open myself up…not for anyone. Even though I'd recoiled from the camaraderie we had, Piccolo refused to directly leave me be. He was always around, lurking in the shadows.

That day, that felt a lifetime ago...when I sat in that cold, dark cave with my shattered heart and baby brother in my arms, I had stayed that way for hours, just sitting there drowning in my own self pity.

Finally, when the sky was completely swallowed by darkness and the chill of the night air forced me to raise my ki for warmth, Piccolo couldn't keep his distance any longer.

He entered the dark haven with the moonlight casting shadows across his face, sharpening his features. He asked me to come to The Lookout with him, but I kept my eyes lowered to the ground and croaked out the single word 'no'. He asked me to come back to Capsule Corp, but I responded with the same syllable. When he finally realized I wasn't going to budge, he huffed and irritably stomped off.

It was no surprise that he returned again the next morning repeating his requests, but he received the same answer. He told me I couldn't stay there, not with a baby anyway, and I knew he was right but I stubbornly remained where I sat.

He had left once again but returned a few hours later, and to my dismay he had a certain blue haired genius in tow. I debated with Bulma for a while, and I think it was my complete exhaustion and growing concern over Goten that finally made me cave and accept her offer.

I'd taken the house she had given me and flew miles away. Away from the memories, from the past; I was starting fresh, even though at the time I felt more dead than alive.

I had chosen a remote location on the outskirts of Satan City, still in the premises of the woodland but far enough away from where I once lived.

Piccolo had followed me, and I could clearly see the concern in his eyes. He desperately wanted to help me, but at the time I really didn't care, I told him to just leave me alone, and he honored my request and kept his distance. But what he had said to me before he flew off struck a nerve inside of me, and stayed with me to this day.

_"I'll always be here for you Gohan, remember that."_

Piccolo stepped forward, closing the distance between us. He was still staring at me, so I finally shifted my eyes and returned the favor. We stood there face to face, our eyes transfixed solely on each other.

"You know," he said, finally breaking the silence. His eyes trailed downward as he studied the gi I wore, "he'd be proud of you."

I felt every muscle in me go rigid at those simple words, but I manage to keep my expression neutral and unaffected. But my voice betrayed my deceiving composure as I bit out my response. "Who?"

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he took a moment to scrutinize my reaction. "You know who." Yes, unfortunately I did know who, and I also knew that I was not having this conversation with him.

My eyes flashed with warning, inaudibly sending the message that this was not a topic to touch on. I felt my temporary layer of composure shedding from my nerves. I balled my fists at my sides, the muscles in my jaw twitching as I gritted my teeth. I had the sudden urge to knock that smug face into the bark of one the trees. Well, this was a splendid way to start off the day.

"Why are you here?" I seethed through my clamped teeth.

"I told you, I want to talk." He said, calmly and unaffected by my now visible anger.

I let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "What makes you think I'm going to?"

"I didn't say you had a choice."

My eyes narrowed dangerously, turning as hard and cold as stone at those words. My body seemed to react before my mind did, and in a flash I closed the small gap between us. I hauled my fist back and hurled the powerful blow forward, aiming directly at his skull.

But he must of registered my reaction before I did, because he easily caught my accelerating fist before it met its target.

The corner of my mouth curved into a shrewd half-smirk, and I promptly lifted a knee and slammed it into his gut. The bastard didn't see that one coming.

He hunched over and coughed, the air leaving his lungs as he released his hold on my first to lower both of his hands to his stomach. I have to say I was a little disappointed, I thought he'd put up a little more resistance than that.

"Looks like you're getting rusty with your old age." I tried to jeer him, to fume him enough to react with an attack, but my words seemed to have no effect.

I took a step back as he slowly straightened up, one hand still on his midsection. His eyes rested back on mine, and the bastard smirked. "You've gotten stronger kid, and faster. Your father would be impressed."

"Shut up," I warned. What the hell was he doing? Why was he so fixed on 'talking' about this?

"Why don't you like talking about him?" He questioned, lowering his arm to his side.

I kept my words clipped and callous as I answered, hoping he would take the hint and back off. "He's dead. Why bother?"

"He was a hero Gohan, he died saving this planet...and he was your father."

I scoffed, turning my back to him. I closed my eyes and knitted my brows as those words stirred the emotions kept withdrawn and buried deep inside me. The flames of fury flared and clawed at my internal walls, growing and gaining momentum with every second I mulled over those words.

"He may have been a hero, but he was one lousy fucking father." I could picture the surprise on his face as he stared at the back of my head. I had never spoken the truth out loud that constantly ate away at me inside, but the words seemed to slip out this time. And the abnormal use of foul language and malice in my tone as I snubbed my father likely took him off guard.

There was a heavy silence as my words hung in the air. Piccolo seemed to hesitate, as if he was almost unsure of what to say. But when he spoke, the words were like a knife slashing through the cage that kept my anger barred.

"He loved you, Gohan."

I snarled, clenching my knuckles tighter until they blanched. He was going too damn far. This was forbidden territory in my book, but it seemed like my filter wasn't properly functioning today, because words that I normally would never say out loud were spilling out of my mouth.

"He sure had a hell of a way of showing it didn't he!"

I turned back around to face him, and resisted the urge to laugh bitterly. He had a perplexed look on his face, like I just spoke in a foreign tongue. He really didn't get it, did he?

His eyes met mine, and he pinned me with an almost pleading look, like he wanted me to explain things to him to make him understand. But he could never truly understand how I felt.

"Gohan, your father-"

"Don't," I cut him off flatly, "I'm done talking." The last strands of my composure were crumbling. I had to get as far away from this topic as possible before any breaks could form in the walls sealing my wrath.

The steam of anger boiling from this conversation was supplying the surging storm in the pit of my stomach with too much strength. I wasn't one to walk away, but this time it was my only option.

I turned and began to step away, but stopped mid stride at his voice.

"Wait."

I closed my eyes, and took in a deep cleansing breath through my nose. Against my better judgment, I found myself shifting to the side and turning my neck to look at him once more.

"Look, I know your father-"

"Stop talking about him!" Why was he so dead set on this, couldn't he see what it was doing to me? Or was he trying to provoke me? Maybe he could tell that he stepped into a restricted area and just couldn't leave until he found out what was hiding there.

"Why?"

It was such a simple question...why? Yet, there were so many complex answers, and so many puzzled reasons. But my brain seemed to settle on the one that summed up the gritty truth spoken with true genuine emotion.

"BECAUSE I FUCKING HATE HIM!"

Ravaged winds aided the blazing fire that freely coursed through my entire body as the straining hold split and crumbled. Every muscle and fiber twitched from the heated torrent that rushed over them like lava. I never truly understood what this was, and didn't know what to call it, but this pain was unlike anything I had ever experienced. It was _so _overwhelming...I hadn't felt it in so long.

Piccolo was completely speechless as he watched me with wide orbs. He could see now, what really existed underneath the surface. He found the trigger and pulled it until everything was on display. He found what turns me into that powerful raging monster I was four years ago. Because that's what this makes me...a monster.

I clenched my eyes shut and tried to push the madness back into its cage. The anger wasn't near as strong as it had been that day so long ago, the only other time this was unleashed from the shadows within.

But if what I felt now wasn't even half of the darkness within me, how can it be so excruciating? The thought of the sheer power that resided inside me even brought fear to myself. How can I live knowing that something so strong and sinister is inside of me?

It was a scary thought, knowing how easily I could lose my grip on this thing that constantly screamed to be set free. I'd have to be more cautious and not lose myself in the clutches of those dark shadows. Shadows weren't meant to glare on the surface in broad daylight, and I couldn't let my stupid emotions let them wrap themselves around me and gain control.

I felt the heat slowly falling back into its chamber, leaving my nerves tingling and raw in its wake. I kept my eyes closed as I tried to regain complete control over my senses. And when Piccolo spoke again, his voice was low and withdrawn.

"That day...I told him to stop, I told him that it was enough...but he wouldn't listen. He said you had the power inside of you to defeat Cell. He said he had seen it with his own eyes in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. But I think he put too much faith in you Gohan, even if you did have the power, you were still just a child."

I slipped my eyes open as he paused, and found him staring off into the distance as if he was lost in his memories. "He couldn't hear what I could, what you were thinking. You were scared, you didn't know why your father thought you could win, or why he was just standing there watching as Cell was killing you. You were only eleven years old, you shouldn't of had to go through any of that, even if you are a saiyan."

He turned his head back and our eyes met once again. He stepped forward until his taller frame was right in front of me, and he firmly placed a hand on my shoulder. "We all make mistakes Gohan, even hero's like your father."

I lowered my eyes to the ground, suddenly finding it difficult to look into those vehement eyes. I had nothing to say to that, and I had nothing else to say to him.

He released his grip on my shoulder and stepped back, running his calculating gaze over me one last time before turning away.

He paced to the edge of the clearing, then turned his chin over his shoulder enough for his voice to be heard, but his eyes didn't look back.

"Happy seventeenth birthday kid." The words coasted through the faint breeze, and without another word, he ascended to the sky.

I remained still in the center of the small expansion of the clearing, peering blanking down at the strands of grass that swished and curled in the wind. I savored the hollow feeling that had swept through me once again. It was the common, safe innervation I carried now, but was it really considered living when I harbored such emptiness? Feeling like a soulless shell was better than feeling the pain that had surged through me only moments ago, because that's all I could afford to have inside of me now, and I couldn't change that.

Seventeen was just a number, nothing more. Age defined nothing in my life, it never had. You were only as old as you considered yourself as, and I didn't know how old I felt, but I knew it wasn't seventeen years old.

So I did the only thing that felt suitable at that moment; I ignored everything that transpired in the moments prior to now and powered up to carry out what I initially came here for.

This was the only way I knew how to deal with events like this. Negligence was the easiest route in handling my problems; I wouldn't call that cowardly, I'd call it necessary. If I decided to try and sort out all the predicaments staked up in my mind I'd either be driven to insanity or explode like the ticking time bomb that I am. As appealing as those outcomes may be, I think the best thing to do is keep my barriers imposed and continue on in the way of life where I'm the only one who's affected by my demons.

/

I swiftly lowered from the sky and landed on the grass turf in front of the small isolated house that's become my home. I wiped the beads of sweat trickling down my forehead with my forearm. I began to feel the wear in my muscles set in and fatigue starting to make its presence known after the heavy, gruesome workout I'd put in.

Maybe I'd actually get another decent night of rest, although I wouldn't bet on it...not after that little conversation I had earlier.

I craned my neck back and gazed up at the sky, noticing the sun falling behind the distant mountains, leaving the warm hues of the descending sun to soothe the sky before darkness took over. I hadn't realized how much time had passed, I guess my focus was only occupied by the steady autopilot motions of my training.

I shook out the sweaty fabric of my gi that was clinging to my skin, and proceeded to go inside and take a much needed shower.

When I opened the door, I didn't know whether I was more surprised to find the three of them there, or that I had failed to notice them beforehand. I guess I was more worn out then I thought, my senses were usually on constant alert.

Bulma stood leaning against the cupboard, while the two chibi's sat across from one another at the kitchen table. By the looks of it they had just arrived and were probably waiting for me to return. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

All three sets of eyes turned to me at the sound of the door shutting. I aimed my attention at the two chibi's seated at the table, not bothering to glance at the blue haired women to my right.

I couldn't help but notice the two of them were grinning a little too broadly to merely be excited to see me. And I got my answer when the two of them just about screamed the words at me.

"Happy Birthday!"

Trunks pointed to the birthday cake sitting on the table between them, which I was only noticing now. I was really off my game today.

All I wanted to do was roll my eyes, but I didn't. Instead, I shook my head and offered them a soft smile, easily hiding my real displeasure at the sentiment.

I knew who was behind all this, the one who I'd pointedly warned last year not to do this again. I turned my head and the smile instantly vanished from my face as I looked to the blue haired women.

I wouldn't say I outright glared at her, but what I gave her was definitely not a friendly look. She shifted a little under my gaze, appearing a little guilty, almost uneasy...which in fact she should be. I am arguably the strongest being on this planet, and an unstable at that, and she just pissed me off.

She covered up any timidness with a smile, and pushed herself from the counter to step over to me. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small object, holding it out to me.

"Happy Birthday Gohan."

My eyes remained fixed on hers, unblinking; I didn't even acknowledge the capsule she held out in her hand.

She didn't seem surprised, or even deterred by my lack of reaction. But she knew just as well as I did that she was crossing a line here. It seemed like everyone was doing that today.

"It's from the kids," she looked over her shoulder at the two seated chibi's. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah!" They both cheered, nodding eagerly.

I sighed; using the kids was low, but it seemed like there wasn't any depths she wouldn't sink to. I couldn't resist rolling my eyes this time as I warily took the capsule from her. She really was a sadist.

I lifted the small item up to my eye and inspected it skeptically, wondering what she could of possibly gotten me and said it was from the boys. Before I had the chance to voice my question, I was stopped by two loud and urgent voices.

"DON'T OPEN IT!" The mother and son yelled in unison. I raised an eyebrow, flickering my eyes between the two before looking to Goten. The confused expression on his faced told me he was just as lost as I was at the sudden outburst.

Trunks took it upon himself to deem me with an answer. "It's a gravity machine!"

Well, that answered the question as to why I shouldn't open it, but unfortunately it didn't help Goten's puzzled state. "Why didn't you let him open it first!" Goten complained, giving the lavender haired chibi a disgruntled look at ruining the surprise.

"He can't open it honey," Bulma answered, "it's too big to open in the house."

"Oh," the chibi blinked, "Okay." He turned his large chestnut orbs to me. "Don't open it in the house daddy."

Before I could respond to the delayed tip, Bulma spoke as she turned and faced me once again. "It's an upgraded and remodeled version of Vegeta's old one," she shrugged, "I thought you could use it. Kami knows how much you Saiyan's like to train."

Goten's chipper voice lead my eyes back to the chibi who was practically bouncing in his chair. "Me and Trunks washed it for you today! We used this green thing that looked like a snake, but it shoots water and it wasn't alive so it really wasn't a snake!"

Trunks nodded. "But then I accidentally sprayed my dad with the hoes and he got _really_ mad...and he blasted it to pieces." Both chibi's deflated and pouted at the memory.

"Uh...thanks." I set the capsule on the counter and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a cutting knife and two forks.

I walked over to the table where the two chibi's were and sliced the round chocolate covered cake down the center. I placed a fork in front of both of them and winked, wordlessly telling them to enjoy.

They looked up at me bewilderedly, then turned to each other and grinned, proceeding to hastily eat their 'pieces' of cake.

Bulma didn't seem too pleased, but I ignored her as I left the kitchen to take the shower I desperately needed.

I had a towel draped around my neck and a loose pair of gym pants on when I returned to the kitchen. Bulma and Trunks had already left, leaving the house still and silent as I took notice of the darkness that shrouded the sky through the window.

My eyes moved to the figure stationed at the table, and I smiled. Goten was facing my direction as his head rested on top of the table, cushioned by one of his arms. His open mouth was rimmed with chocolate, and his eyes were closed, appearing to be fast asleep. How a chibi could eat half a cake filled with sugar and instantly fall to sleep was beyond me.

I grabbed a rag off the counter and moved over to wipe off his mouth, then carefully lifted him from his seat and into my arms. He stirred a little once I cradled him to my chest, and I lowered my chin to see his half lidded eyes peering up at me. A small yawn escaped his mouth, then his eyes fell shut once again.

I took a step away from the table, but before I turned I caught sight of one of his eyes peeking open, then he scrunched up his nose. "Daddy, you're all wet."

I smirked and bowed my head, pressing my nose to his tiny chest then shook my head back and forth, letting droplets of water fall from my damp hair and sprinkle onto him.

"Daddy!" He squealed, giggling and squirming in my arms.

I lifted my head and planted a kissed to his forehead before straightening up and smiling down at him.

"Come on, lets go to bed." He nodded, yawning as he wiped the water from his face with his sleeve. I flicked off the kitchen light and carried him to his room.

* * *

[Edited]

Another chapter done :) **Review & Thanks for reading!**


	3. Looking Back

**Chapter 3: Looking Back**

I was snapped out of the daze I hadn't realized I'd slipped into when a fast approaching ki pulled my attention back to the present. I blinked down at the open textbook I'd been staring at for a good minute and a half, completely oblivious to a single word written on the pages.

My mind had been doing that a lot lately, drifting off and zoning out, and I didn't like it. I'm not one to be easily distracted, but I'd frequently found it more and more difficult to hold my focus as of late.

It had been a few weeks now since my little run in with Piccolo, and it was safe to say that I'd put all of that behind me - more like shoved it into the closed off bank of memories in the back of my mind. I'd moved past the futile stage of dwelling on the unchangeable a long time ago, and now life had fallen back into its normal routine; well, as normal as my life could be labeled as I suppose.

I straightened up and lifted my head to the east where the energy signal I'd sensed was steadily moving in this direction. As I zeroed in on the object, I pressed my lips together and frowned as I immediately recognized the signal, it was Goten. If I remembered correctly though, I specifically told Goten not to leave the yard, but I guess I only had myself to blame for not keeping a better eye on him. My guess was he must have stumbled upon nimbus and decided to go for a little joy ride without bothering to let me know about it.

I closed the textbook, stood up from the couch and headed for the front door. Stepping outside, I shut the door and strolled onto the dry shriveled grass that bathed in the scorching rays of the afternoon sun. I raised my chin and peered up at the sky, lifting a hand to my brow to shield my eyes from the sphere's fierce flare.

The outline of a large figure expanded as it drew nearer, and I took a step back, lowering my head as the object nimbly swooped down and hit the solid ground with a thud, casting a brisk breeze over me.

I dropped my hand and scanned my eyes over the massive creature that I could now see, distinguishing the tough skin as faint purple in color. I moved forward, and I couldn't stop my eyes from widening as a rush of recognition hit me; I knew this creature, it was a creature I hadn't laid eyes on for what felt like an eternity.

Icarus.

He failed to detect my presence however as he craned his neck back and latched his teeth into the collar of the giggling spiky haired chibi seated on his back. He carefully hoisted the boy up and lowered him to the ground. Goten eagerly plopped his dangling legs down with a grin and whirled around to face the purple dragon.

My initial surprise upon seeing my old friend disintegrated into a smile as I watched the scene of carefree, blissful innocence. It had to be at least two, maybe three years since I'd last seen Icarus, and a warm feeling spread through me as I set my sight on him once again. It was really good to see him.

I stuffed my hands in my pockets; simply standing there contently watching the two of them, until Goten finally looked over and caught sight of my presence.

"DAD!" He scurried his stumpy legs over to me and tilted his head up, aiming beaming eyes and a grin at me. "Come see my friend!" He grabbed my hand and began to lead me over to Icarus.

The dragon tilted his head curiously as I approached, and I kept my eyes trained on his as I came to a stop in front of him. I lifted a hand and gently ran it over the side of his face, offering him a slight curve of my lips. "It's good to see you again, old friend."

Icarus blinked slowly, searching my face until his large orbs broadened comically with recollection. He jumped up and down on the spot, sending a rumble through the ground beneath our feet in a reaction of enthusiasm.

He knew who I was, he remembered me as the boy he once knew, and for some reason I was thankful for that. I may not be that boy anymore, but it was good to know that not everyone had completely abandoned him.

I squinted as the dragon dragged his large tongue across my cheek, leaving a trail of mucky liquid behind. I tried to twist my sour look into a more appreciative one, managing a half-hearted smile. I wiped off the side of my face with my palm before swiping the saliva onto my pant leg.

"He likes you Daddy!" Goten chirped beside me, "I found him in the forest. Can we keep him? Can we? Can we?"

I smirked as I turned to acknowledge the chibi. Only he would ask for a dragon bigger than our kitchen as a pet. "I don't think so kiddo, he has his own home to go back to just like you. I'm sure he'll come back to visit though."

"Aww...but I don't want him to go!" The chibi pursed his lips, giving me his best pout.

"Don't worry Goten, you'll see him again." I reassured him, placing a hand on his head.

"Okay," he grumbled, trotting over to Icarus. He spread out his tiny arms as far as the stubby limbs could reach and slung them around the dragon in an embrace. I gave my old friend a parting salute, and he ducked his head in a silent gesture before licking the chibi in farewell then turning and shooting to the sky.

Goten lowered his head, his black spikes shadowing his face, but I knew a sad expression rested there. I dropped to a knee in front of him, setting a hand to his shoulder.

"Hey," I said in a light tone, "how about you call Trunks and he can come over and play for a while. How does that sound?"

He slowly lifted his head, and when his eyes met mine his frown did a summersault into a smile. "Okay!"

He spun and bolted to the house, leaving the door rattling on its hinges as he dashed inside.

I craned my neck back and inhaled the fresh vapors in the air as I closed my eyes. I calmly listened to the bird's melody and the leaves pattering. Slowly, I opened my eyes to slivers, gazing at the inflated clouds as they coasted in a sway across the polished sky.

No matter what grimy and foul predicament the day threw at me, or what shower of trouble decided to cause disorder inside, the warmth of nature always seemed to welcome me with opened arms.

/

I didn't want to be here.

I really, really did _not_ want to be here.

Ugh

This was the last place I wanted to be on today of all days.

I groaned, dragging my feet idly along the cement of the sidewalk. Goten and Trunks trotted at my sides, their mops of raven and lavender bobbing as their heads hung low, not even the slightest bit interested with their surroundings as they worked to unwrap and gorge the candy they'd gathered from the parade.

I still don't know what I was thinking when I agreed to come here. I usually only came to the city when it was necessary, and that was usually during the weekdays when the crowds were buoyant and tolerable. Needless to say, today was a far cry from that.

Traffic was blocked as a line of floats flowed down the street. Boarding sidewalks and roads were jammed with people observing the scene, while sirens rang as cheers and laughter buzzed throughout the area.

This rowdy, animated environment was not a typical scene for me, in fact, it was almost unbearable. I tugged at the collar of my t-shirt and sucked in a deep breath, the clamoring and crushing crowd felt suffocating for someone like me who's lived in a calm and steady scene in the neck of the woods my entire life.

It was one of the festivities I never understood, much less wanted to be a part of. People gathered in junction to look at a series of decorated vehicles and get some free candy. This is how they celebrated a marked occasion, and the act of celebrating in itself was enough of a reason for me dreading being here, much less the antics that went along with it.

When the boys saw the advertisement on TV, they instantly asked if they could come here today. And the only answer that came to mind was the logical one – no. There was no way that _I _was going to be _here_ on this day; the thought alone was positively ridiculous.

Of course, I didn't let them know that. I came up with a simple on the spur excuse and delivered the news as subtle as possible. Unfortunately, the chibi's weren't going to accept defeat that easily, and they chose to play their best hand.

They looked up at me with those big, round, deceivably innocent eyes. They fluttered their lashes and stuck out their bottom lips, and pleaded in their virtuous adolescent nature. The skillful little rascals had both mastered the 'how can you say no to this face' look.

We all have some weakness that we recognize and try vainly to correct, but yet we always fall victim to; and mine was their childish charms. I know I should have tougher skin than that, especially when I know it's coming, but that kicked puppy look gets me every time. So at that point it didn't matter what they were asking, because I caved without a single thought of the consequences.

I cringed as the flooded streets suddenly erupted into a deafening holler, making my ears ring. I looked in the direction that all eyes had turned to, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I spotted the source of the outburst. It would appear as though the king that all of these half-minded people worshiped had arrived.

I looked on, watching the floats meandering by as multi-color confetti danced and glimmered in the wind. I took notice of the red, largely printed number five on the banners being carried amongst the swarm of movement.

Had it really been that long? The thousands of civilians were gathered here today to enthusiastically celebrate the anniversary of the day the Earth was saved from destruction from the evil tyrant Cell, more precisely the fifth anniversary. Yes, a circus routine was necessary to celebrate that in these people's eyes.

These human's perspectives greatly differed from mine; a day where they felt a sense of peace had settled was a day I lost a part of myself in a whirl of chaos. They gladly honored the event by celebrating, when all I wanted to do was forget it. Yet here I was, blending into an assembly of faces like I belonged among them.

I never held any resentment towards these people though; they were just followers to a facade leader in a blissfully unwitting world. They were clueless when it came to the true nature of this world, and what really occurred during the Cell games.

All they were doing was recognizing a false claim made by a man who held no self dignity and declared to the world that it was he who dethroned the evil villain with his own bare hands.

A man who the entire city worshiped like a god, naming the city after him and throwing bags of cash at his feet for his supposed act of nobility of saving them and the rest of the world. Children idolized him, men wanted to be him and women wanted to be with.

That's who the hero was in the eyes of these humans, a clown with an afro, Mr. Satan.

And there he was, the neanderthal himself sitting triumphantly on a giant float, gloating in the reaction the crowd offered him. I hadn't seen the man in person for five years, but it was safe to say that the sight of him brought a sour taste to my mouth.

I wouldn't say I downright hated the man, but I did not like him at all. I didn't hold any kind of grudge against him for claiming to have accomplished something utterly impossible, or taking the credit from where it truly belonged.

None of that mattered to me in the slightest; he could have all the fame and fortune he wanted because I sure as hell didn't want it. The thing that bothered me about him was, to put it bluntly - he was a moron.

The only thought that crossed my mind as he puffed out his chest and flexed his muscles at the people who were in awe over his mere presence was how much of a buffoon he was. Every memory I had of him showed him being nothing but a coward, hiding behind a rock begging for his life to be spared as he watched me and the other warriors take part in a battle of life and death against an android who wanted to obliterate the planet and the rest of the universe.

Out of all the humans in this world, it just had to be this idiot that held the title of being 'the strongest man in the world' and had defeated Cell. I honesty had to wonder how these people could even buy into his sham, just look at him, the guy couldn't even fly for Kami's sake. Krillin could handle him without even breaking a sweat, and that's saying a lot.

I could probably throw one tiny ki blast at him right now and decapitate him before anyone knew what happened, but I wouldn't do that – it would scare the kids. I could probably get something out of him though - maybe blackmail him in a threat to expose him. That'd be fun, and I wouldn't have to worry about money every again. It was a nice idea to mull over, but for now I think I'll let him soak in his stardom. If there's any justice in the world, then one day the idiot would get what was coming to him.

Trunks snorted beside me as we watched the oncoming man that every other set of eyes was on. "Why do people like that guy so much?"

"He's supposed to be really strong Trunks." Goten insisted.

"Yeah right," Trunks replied dismissively, throwing the last of his candy wrappers to the ground, "my dad says he's a baka."

I smirked at the comment. "He's right about that one." I murmured under my breath, but the two of them obviously heard as they both tilted their heads up, peering at me questionably.

I didn't bother to elaborate, noticing that the two of them were as uninterested as I was by the current spectacle. I gestured for them to follow as I turned to find the quickest exit from the mass of people.

As we advanced from the crowd, Goten was the first one to speak up. "But didn't he beat that Cell guy?"

"Of course he didn't," Trunks chuckled like the fact was obvious. "He's a fake."

"Oh...what does that mean?"

Trunks sighed, shaking his head. "Never mind Goten."

Trunks tended to do that a lot, act as though Goten was some dimwitted child who didn't deserve an explanation because it wouldn't be understood anyway. Sometimes it bothered me; sure Goten was a slower learner than someone like Trunks who came from a genius family, but that didn't make him stupid. If it was anyone other than the lavender haired demi-saiyan, I probably wouldn't let it slide, but with Trunks, I merely blamed it on his parent's arrogant ways rubbing off on him.

"Then who beat Cell if it wasn't Mr. Satan?" Goten asked eagerly, not happy with being kept out on the secret.

"Uh...I don't know." Trunks scratched the side of his head, letting out a sheepish laugh. "Do you know who really beat Cell, Gohan?"

I lowered my chin, catching both chibi's eyes blinking up at me in curiosity.

I lifted my gaze, looking ahead as I maintained a nonchalant stride. In my head, flashing images of the past flickered in and out of light. The heated ripple of a raging, explosive battle and a bug-like android with merciless, livid eyes took life behind my eyes.

"Just...some kid" I swallowed, shaking my head slightly in an effort to shatter the fleeting glimpses of another time.

"Some kid?" They shouted in unison, stopping in their tracks.

I blinked, the images vanishing as I took in the sight of the city street. I waited for the fog to clear from my head then slowly turned around, meeting the faces of the two very shocked and bewildered round faces.

Shit, what did I just say? I tried to recall the words that managed to escape my lips as I was pulled in by lingering memories, but my mind came up blank.

"A kid beat Cell?" Goten stated in a mixture of surprise and astonishment. "Who was it?"

Yeah, I didn't actually plan on saying that, but I guess it was better than saying 'me.' I was lost for words as I came up short on finding an escape route in this topic.

The lavender haired chibi folded his arms at my lack of response. "I bet it was a saiyan like us, huh?"

Finding myself in an already unfortunate situation, I decided the question was vague enough to answer, so I nodded.

"Who?" They skipped to a halt at my feet, waiting with earnest eyes like I was at the climax of very thrilling story.

I flicked my gaze around the area, rummaging through my head for some suitable response. For some reason, I knew without a doubt that I wasn't going to tell them it was me – I couldn't. It was like an impulsive reaction to find the nearest vent out of this tunnel of questions by any means necessary.

It was a clear and marked event that was the turning point in my life; the line that separated two different parts of me, which I'd crossed the day I fought Cell. It was a line that I strayed far away from because if I took a notch toward it, scars that I'd ignored became prominent and sought attention.

If I let them know that it was me who fought that battle, I'd be smothered with questions I couldn't answer, and be revisiting a history best left forgotten. And the truth was, the definition of 'the person who defeated Cell' didn't feel like it belonged to me.

Yes, technically I was the one who put an end to Cell's reign and saved the universe from utter destruction, but I never held any pride in achieving such a bold task. People will see it as an act of saving the world, but that's not how I see it at all.

I was just a pawn that had taken out another pawn in a game neither of us had a choice in being a part of. He was created by a psychotic scientist set on world destruction, and I was born into a race that lived for the sheer struggle of battle. We were the same; there was no villain or hero, just two pieces on opposite sides of a board with different objectives.

I fought with an instinctive mentality during the final stage of that vigorous battle; devoid of emotions and pain. My strength was fueled by the impulse to win, and the need for the traits of combat. I carried a deep, pining urge to see Cell suffer, to quiver and scream in agony brought on by my hand. I was possessed by something hidden in the darkest lair inside of me that I didn't even know I sustained until that day.

And those are things that any hero does not hold, and that was the last thing that I wanted anyone, let alone Goten and Trunks to think of me as – some kind of hero, because I wasn't. I never took anyone else's well-being in account during those heated moments, just like I didn't a year later when I was on the verge of accomplishing what I'd stopped Cell from doing. My actions exhibited no honor, and I wouldn't allow myself to be recognized as being something I wasn't like Mr. Satan so willingly does.

"That's...a story for another time guys, now lets get going so we make it home before dark." A trace of true emotion leaked out into my voice, making it sound mechanical and distant.

I didn't look at the chibi's as I spoke, or waited for a response as I turned around and headed for the forest bordering the urban land. Maybe it was the tone of my voice, or the odd look I let fall on my face, but the two of them didn't press the matter.

They paused behind me, and I heard a muffled whine before the light patting of their tiny feet skidding across the cement followed.

They caught up to me as I reached a remote turf safe enough for us to take to the air without drawing attention. Vegeta had already taught Trunks how to channel his ki and fly, but Goten still had to rely on nimbus.

I never tried to teach him how to get a grasp on that stuff yet; he was still young and had plenty of time to reach that level and beyond. I didn't feel the need to have him wield a physical ability the moment he became capable of doing it – I wasn't like Vegeta in that aspect.

Instead of waiting for nimbus, I knelt down and let Goten jump onto my back. The setting sun colored the sky with strokes of coral and citrus as we lifted to the air, gravitating towards home before darkness fell once again.

/

The touching of glass rang as I stacked away the last of the freshly washed dishes. I wrung out a cloth over the sink then wiped off the countertops in the final stage of cleaning for the day.

Once the task was finished, I left the kitchen and headed down the hall. The house was dim in the evening hours as I moved toward the room where flickering lights fluttered along the wall opposite of the doorway.

I stopped at the threshold, doing a quick sweep of the living room. My focus was instantly drawn to the four-year-old who lay sprawled out on the couch. His head rested on a pillow as one arm hung off the cushions edge with the remote held loosely in his hand. His tiny frame was layered in his green dinosaur covered pajamas, while his hooded eyes struggled to stay open as they were pinned to the television.

I glanced at the screen and arched a brow; apparently he'd taken an interest in the animal planet tonight. It came as no surprise though, considering Goten's genuine love for all living creatures. I quietly stepped into the room, moving to the couch and bending down to grab the remote from his grip. I aimed the device toward the screen and shut it off before turning back to face the chibi.

"Alright little man, time for bed."

He lifted an arm and rubbed an eye with his fist, mumbling what sounded like an "okay." He slowly sat up, lugging himself off the sofa and shuffling his small torso to his room. As I followed a step behind, I thought that the little guy must have been pretty exhausted to have not even put up a shred of protest to stay up any longer.

I waited patiently in the threshold as he entered his room and loitered over to his bed, climbing onto the mattress and slipping under the covers. He sat up and let out a small yawn. He blinked a couple times before his chestnut orbs darted to me, and in a split second the drowsiness in his eyes shrank, and a twinkle of his usual energy surfaced in them.

"Tell me a story Daddy!"

I sighed softly; I should have seen that one coming. I closed the distance in two long strides and took a seat at the end of the bed. After hearing one of my bedtime stories, Goten hadn't stopped prodding for them ever since. To him they were just stories for entertainment like the many others in his books, but to me these stories were very real.

My recent storytelling routine all started one night when I sat down to read one of Goten's many storybooks to him, and I couldn't help but notice how unrealistic and truly vulgar it was. I know that children are supposed to use their imaginations and what not, but I honestly couldn't make it halfway through the book before I had to put it down. I realize I can't disregard the process of learning to read because of my own dislike for the material, but when it came to a tale before bed, I decided it wouldn't hurt to set the fables aside and put my own chronicles to use.

And it seemed my genre of stories was more of Goten's taste as well. Instead of searching through Goten's shelves for a story, I simply raked through my mind and told him tales of some of the many adventures that I lived through as a kid. Of course, I couldn't give him an all-inclusive account of certain events – I kept out the harsh hostility and brutality, and gave a more exciting age appropriate version than what my senses really captured during those events.

I also thought it was a suitable approach to educate Goten on his saiyan heritage and the recent pivotal points in history. It was a way of answering some of the questions he'd have down the road, and most importantly, Goten seemed to enjoy them. He found them much more compelling than his deluding children's books, knowing that they really happened.

I'll admit, opening the rusty and neglected hatch to my memories was a tense and difficult task - to explore the passageways that held the events of the past that had been stored away and were never to be relived again. It's what was needed to be done, the field of my mind needed to be kept hollow so that I could carry on stably.

I chose to keep everything suppressed, but for some reason when it came to Goten, I found myself looking back without a danger alert going off in my head. Any unease or fear I felt seemed to wash away when I was with him, even when it came to this. He was like a sedative for any negative emotions that threatened me, helping me remain relaxed and composed in circumstances that I normally wouldn't be.

Although, I kept a limit on what I shared with him because I knew there was a lot of things that I just didn't want leaked out of my head and into Goten's. I told him about things such as the dragonball's of the Earth, some history on the saiyans, and traveling through space to the planet Namek in search of those dragonball's. I talked about some of the different villains we came up against like the Ginyu Force and Frieza, and about the Other World that I'd never actually been to but heard plenty about when I was younger. I also touched on some lighter topics that I thought would interest him as well.

But there were some things that I couldn't shed light on, areas that had to remain resting in the shadows of my mind. The main subject that currently fit into that category was my father. I knew I couldn't pretend as though Goku had never existed and hide him from Goten; he is Goten's real father after all.

The day would eventually come where I'd have to explain things to him; I'd have to take out old photos and tell him what kind of person Goku was. But right now, that was just one avenue that I couldn't bring myself to journey down. I didn't even like to think about past experiences that had him in them, so only focusing on the man himself and sharing those thoughts out loud felt impossible.

My own personal issues with my father were just that – my own. I wasn't going to deceive Goten by exposing him to my own degraded perception. It was better for Goten to view my father in the exact same way that I used to – a cheerful saint of a man, and a brave noble warrior who many adored. The tales of the great Son Goku would have to be left up to Piccolo or someone else to share with Goten for now because like I said, I hated deluding childish stories.

"Alright kiddo, what'll it be tonight?" I shifted myself on the bed, moving to a more comfortable position beside him. I loosely crossed my legs as I sat on top of the covers, slinging an arm over the pillow his head was resting on.

He placed a finger to his chin as if he was thoroughly thinking over my question. After a moment he dropped his hand and shrugged, lifting his gaze to me. "I dunno, you pick."

I chuckled. "If you say so. Hmm...how about I tell you the story of the mysterious warrior who showed up on Earth and defeated Frieza?"

"Frieza's the lizard guy, right?"

"Mhmm"

"Okay, I don't like that guy very much."

I looked down at him with a smile. "You and me both. Alright, so the day Frieza was supposed to arrive on Earth, a mysterious warrior had appeared out of nowhere. No one had ever seen him before, so no one was certain if he was a friend or foe. But when Frieza's spaceship landed, the mysterious warrior fought the powerful villain and his henchmen all on his own. He moved as fast as lightening, and fought with a large sword..."

I continued to tell him about Mirai Trunk's arrival to the past, and his destruction of Frieza and his father. The story held the chibi's interest until finally he could no longer resist the tug of sleep, and the four-year-old's lids fell shut as he was swept into the peaceful world of dreams.

* * *

[Edited]

This was supposed to be a lighter chapter so I hope it comes across that way, lol.

**Please Review :)**


	4. Tournament?

A/N: From here on characters will be the same age as they are in the show.

Gohan – 19

Goten – 7

Trunks – 8

Etc.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Tournament?**

_"Gohan" My name echoed in all corners of the darkness that surrounded me._

_I turned, seeking the voice that called, but could see nothing beyond the canvas of blackness. I am completely alone._

_"Gohan" The voice was closer now, but still there was nothing in sight. A warm puff of air touched the back of my neck like a hot breath. I quickly spun around, impulsively falling into a defensive pose, and felt the air sucked from my lungs as I came face to face with a familiar green-skinned foe who surfaced amongst the endless emptiness. _

_The android stood a few feet away, but I could still feel the waves of raw energy radiating off of him; his arms crossed and his lips curved into a devilish display of firm confidence and amusement as he eyed me. But he isn't the one who's calling me._

_"Gohan, you can defeat him. I know you have it in you." I recognized the voice now. My eyes swept eagerly over the encompassing darkness that seemed to have thickened and grown heavier; but he's not here...he's left me to do this on my own._

_"I've seen it Gohan! You just have to let everything go. You have to let it out!"_

_"Huh?" The words came as a coil of jumbled sounds to my ears, like he'd spoke them in a foreign tongue. I couldn't fathom what he was saying, or what was going on; I felt lightheaded, my thoughts a tangled mess of vines. _

_The green foe looming before me chuckled. "My my...Goku thinks this frightened boy can challenge me? Ha, he must really want to see you die."_

_"You can't back down, let it out!" The voice was firm and demanding now._

_I swallowed, managing to shakily draw out my voice. "But...I don't need to. I'm stronger now, I can beat him." _

_"It's the only way!"_

_I lowered my eyes, frowning in confusion as I caught sight of my body - I was wearing my old purple gi and I was...smaller? This can't be right…_

_"GOHAN DO IT NOW!" I jumped at the unexpected booming command._

_"I-I can't"_

_"Yes you can, you just have to release it!"_

_I clutched the sides of my head, balling my fists in my hair and shaking it in a violent twist of denial. I couldn't release it, not now…not again._

_Cell's cackles grew louder. "Look, the boy's gone insane! I suppose I should be merciful and put him out of his misery." The android's laughter died and he dropped his arms. His eyes narrowed, but the glint of mirth still bubbled in them as he promptly charged forward with lethal intent._

_"GOHAN HE'S COMING! IF YOU DON'T RELEASE YOUR POWER NOW THEN EVERYONE WILL DIE!"_

_My shaky legs gave out from underneath me and I collapsed to me knees, vulnerable and defenseless to the enemy heading straight for me. I painfully clawed at my skull and gritted my teeth, hoping to pull out some kind of solution from within. _

_"I can't...I can't...I can't." Fear bolted through me, paralysing my body with its iron grip. There was no way I could win; I was useless. Everyone was going to die, all because of me, all because I was too weak and pathetic. _

_"LET IT OUT!"_

_I clenched my jaw tighter, my body rooted in place as I felt utterly immobile. Yet I still managed to spur my voice into roaring out the costly verdict as the android's fatal attack rushed toward my face._

_"NO!"_

* * *

I jolted up, sucking air into my lungs like I'd just emerged from water. My heart hammered in my chest as I scouted my surroundings with muddled vision. I blinked a few times, ushering my vision into focus which seemed to react a step behind the rest of my body. When the blurry brew of colours began to take shape, I found myself looking on the familiar space of my living room.

It was just a dream.

The words came like a repelling wind in my mind, whisking away the clouding fog and fragmented images still lingering in my mind's eye. I sighed heavily through my nose, letting my wide alert eyes relax.

I stayed sitting up, bracing my weight back on one arm, feeling a sleek sheet of sweat over my skin. I wiped the liquid beads off my forehead with the back of my hand.

It took me a moment to catch my bearings enough to ease the tension in my muscles and even out my breaths. I remained in my propped up position until the air flowed in and out of my lungs in a moderate rhythm and the raging pulse in my ears quieted its relentless beat; then I let my body fall back to the couch, closing my eyes and sighing in disgruntlement.

Yes, it was just another fucking dream.

I rubbed my face with my hands, trying to physically rid myself of the stress and sleep. Groaning, I trailed my hands up and entwined my fingers in my short locks, exhaling deeply through my nose again which casted a chill down my bare chest.

These little dream sequences have always been a regular affair, a shaky turbulence in a state meant for rest and rehabilitation. I've long since accepted that. But instead of recessing over time, they've escalated and morphed into something more powerful and unavoidable.

I knew exactly what it was, I've known from the very beginning. But that didn't make me grant it acknowledgment; it didn't deserve that luxury. All it was was a corrupt casualty that was locked up and kept prisoner within me. And the only time even a whisper of its voice could be heard, it sent me the same repeated message – it wanted out.

This thing inside of me, this dark presence - I didn't like it, but I didn't fear it either. It had only been brought to the surface and given the taste of undisclosed exposure twice in the past, but over these past few years it had stayed contently in the shadows. I swore to myself, even if it destroyed me, that I would never let it be released again.

I referred to it as an _it_ for the simple fact that I hated to think of it as a part of me – a dark, degraded, and extremely dangerous part. I preferred to think of us as two separate entities - I was the medium and it was a burden of a presence that resided inside of me, a problem I couldn't get rid of but had maintained under control.

But now, for some reason it was resisting its restraints more so than ever before, like its prolonged captivity had raised its restlessness to its boiling point. It was stirring, banging against the firm, steel barriers keeping it locked away, begging for release once again. But even in my dreams I couldn't let that happen.

Now this pressing energy wanted its agony to be known, so it discovered a way to attack me in the rare instant my solid defences were lowered. It sat in wait like the predator it was during the days then pounced the moment my strong shell of control slipped and traces of vulnerability could be found - in my subconscious.

It didn't like being defied, so it played games with me, taunting me with twisted and marred images of what I'd consciously locked away along with it – exploiting the weaknesses that only it knew I possessed to pressure me into granting it what it desperately desired...

Freedom.

But I was never one to be easily provoked; stirring up mere illusions in my dreams wouldn't get any level of reaction from me beyond annoyance. I was immune to such trivial things. My sturdy barriers remained securely intact, and I never even spared a fleeting thought to unleashing that beast of energy out into the world again.

Maybe a large portion of the reason for that was contributed to the fact that life was now covered with an air of civility and no longer polluted by the stench of battle, and I had become more potent against my emotions – the only challenge I had to face over this given time.

Assuming I'd paid the consequence for accidently dozing off midafternoon, I glanced up at the clock on the wall across from me. The thought of Goten roused my memory as I read the time and caused me to curse inwardly – I had to pick him up in ten minutes.

This is usually what happens when you run on such a poor sleeping schedule – your body will eventually give in to the exhaustion and take its much needed rest at any given hour.

Grabbing my t-shirt off the arm of the chair, I stood up, rolling the tension from my shoulders and slipping the gray fabric on. As I headed for the door, I thought I might as well use this small window of time as a way of testing my agility.

.

The air massaged my face soothingly as I took flight in the bare expansion of the sky; nothing felt more relaxing than flying. Hovering high above civilization always felt like an escape from the havoc below and to a place where only peace could reside.

The further I lifted off the ground, the further away from reality I became - away from the restrictions, pollution, population and disturbances that ate more greedily at the earth every passing day. I became one with the particles in the air, drifting along in an easy pace, like the soft cushions of clouds – I enjoyed the illusion of it.

I lowered my gaze and began to decrease my velocity, sinking from my relished high back down to the land of the living.

I swiped down smoothly as I reached my destination, planting my feet on the grass-covered estate in front of the cream coloured, half-oval building known as Capsule Corp. I stepped onto the paved path and followed it to the front door, knocking lightly. A sharp bang came from inside, followed by the muffled sounds of children's laughter as I waited.

There was a brief moment of stillness before the door swung open with a speed rapid to even my eyes, and before I could fully register what was happening, a dark ball of fur zipped through the opening and latched itself around my legs.

"DADDY!" The child cheered as I was left blinking in surprise.

I lowered my chin, catching sight of the large orbs that shined like liquid caramel in the afternoon sun. I chuckled, "how's it going squirt?"

He beamed, his lips stretching into a grand grin. "Me and Trunks were playing tag, but now we're on a mission to sneak some cookies from the kitchen!"

"GOTEN," The lavender haired boy said, stepping into view in the threshold. "You're not supposed to tell people about our secret missions you dope! That's why they're called _secret_."

Goten turned his head to the side, looking to the other boy without breaking his hold on me. "Yeah, but he's my dad. I tell him everything," he stated as if the fact was obvious.

He snapped his head back up to me, the towering sun magnifying the gleam in his eyes. "Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!"

I chuckled, resisting the urge to shake my head at his excessive supply of energy. "What?"

"I could sense you coming, that's why I knew it was you behind the door!" He laughed excitedly, unable to keep still for a millisecond as he bounced on his toes.

"I can tell you've had a little too much sugar, little man." I looked across to Trunks, giving him a sterner look that he seemed to catch right away, but before I could ask him anything about what exactly the two of them had been up to, he turned and made a quick retreat back into the house.

"MOM GOHAN'S HERE!"

I sighed at the broad announcement; so much for getting in and out before being interrogated.

I ruffled Goten's jagged spikes as he finally released his hold on me. "Go get your stuff so we can head home."

"Okay!" He scurried back into the house, with me reluctantly following suite.

Walking into the kitchen, I watched as Bulma moved aside in the threshold across the room, clearing way for the small ball of endless energy that dashed passed her without missing a beat. She shook her head at the child, then stepped into the kitchen.

I closed the door behind me, but didn't make a move to further myself into the room. And like a flick of a light switch, the breezy air once occupying the room was now weighed down by a dark, heavy sheet of tension.

I looked down at the welcome mat under my feet, trying to avoid the overwhelmingly sense of awkwardness I felt as she stood across the room, arms crossed with a very noticeable glare fixed on me. I didn't make my unease visible though, playing the bored card as I kept my expression flat and unbothered.

Now I've seen a lot of things in my life that defied common logic, and what I've come to learn a long time ago is that out of all the different species in the universe that have come up against the Saiyans and failed, the only one that had somehow managed to gain a form of upper hand against them was the human women.

Why? Because they appeared deceivably frail on the surface, but once their anger was triggered they transformed into scary creatures who somehow duped you in to doing their bidding. It was an intriguing thing to witness as a spectator, but if it was you at the receiving end, then it was a real pain in the ass. And right now Bulma was practically glowing with radiant anger.

The suffocating silence was becoming truly painful, so I forced myself to look back to those sapphire eyes that smoldered like icy flames, waiting for the ammo of words she was going to inevitably shoot at me.

When her voice finally cut through the stiff tension, her words were low but the edge in them was far from soft. "Hello Gohan."

"Bulma," I greeted blandly with a nod.

She raised her chin slightly, still looking far from pleased. "So, you're still alive and kicking I see... because heaven knows none of us would be able to tell the difference. You're always too _busy_ to keep in contact with any of us, and too _busy _to pick up the phone."

I resisted the urge to sigh; this was exactly what I'd been expecting, but it didn't make it any less tiresome. This was a conversation I really didn't feel like having.

I didn't bother masking my annoyance as it weighed heavy in my voice. "Is there any point to this, or are you just going to stand here and bitch at me?"

She narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips, like she was biting back what she truly wanted to say. Instead, she sighed, and all her tension seemed to leave her along with the air from her lungs, her arms falling slack to her sides.

She faintly shook her head and walked forward, closing the distance between us. Turquoise eyes that were seconds ago cool with frigid anger had melted into a warm, affectionate consideration as they gazed up into my own. "God Gohan, look at you. You're a man now."

I figured it was better not to say anything, knowing this could easily be one of her sneaky ploys and any words of mine might end up consequently setting off her angry-fuse once again. So I didn't struggle under the tender, motherly gaze that was set on me, aware that it was much easier to deal with this Bulma than the irrationally hot tempered one.

It still felt extremely uncomfortable though, so instead of letting this gridlock gain any more momentum, I took a deep breath and took my chances, opting to speak. "I'm not avoiding you Bulma. I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Oh please," she huffed, waving off my words with a passive flick of her wrist. "Every time I actually manage to get you on the phone you're always hemming and hawing and saying you have to go because you always have _so_ many things to do.

When you come here with Goten you're out the door before I even knew you were here. The only time I actually get to see you is when I take Trunks over to your place, and then you still barely speak a word to me. You and I both know if it wasn't for Goten then I'd never see you at all!"

She and I both knew she was right - I did avoid her, only talking to her when it was absolutely necessary. But I really wish she wouldn't take it so personally; it wasn't like it was only her I dodged at all cost, because in truth, I basically avoided everyone. I did see her now and then, but the only real reason behind that were the kids.

My easily detectable evasiveness wasn't a result of me holding onto some kind of grudge or dislike; I just honestly felt it was easier to get through the days when I didn't have to face people who tended to stir up events of the past. My mindset was devoted to moving forward and not backpedalling to the places I'd rather not think about much less revisit.

But Bulma was the person who offered a helping hand in some of my most brittle moments – a faint but still visible light in a swamp of darkness. So I knew the cold shoulder I constantly shoved at her wasn't deserved.

I sighed, feeling a twine of guilt twist in my gut. I lowered my head, deciding not to fend it off like I'd normally revert to. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."

I slowly trailed my eyes up and caught sight of the small but satisfied curve of her lips. Feeling like I finally made it in the clear, I let loose a breath of relief, but found it cut short as a thin set of arms wrapped themselves around.

I immediately stiffened and stopped breathing all together, standing awkward and still as she trapped me in the very close and uncomfortable gesture.

After a few very long seconds, she finally set me free and handed back my personal space, smiling brightly; either completely blind or unfazed by my obvious discomfort.

"Now," she said, rubbing her hands together as she took a step back. "Take a seat, you and Goten will be staying for dinner."

It wasn't a question, if her tone was anything to go by. She turned away from me, fully aware of the protest that was about to follow.

"But-"

She wiped around, jabbing a finger at my face. "No 'buts' mister, you and Goten are staying for dinner and that's final. Now sit down!"

She pointed her menacing finger toward the small, unoccupied table set tucked under the lone window in the room. Her accompanying glare dared me to resist, and I really didn't feel like being stabbed by that finger she seemed to enjoy throwing around, or had any desire to see what other bizarre weapons she had in her arsenal.

"Ugh, fine," I grumbled, wondering if the day would ever come where I'd meet a woman who wasn't completely mad.

I took a seat like I was so politely told to, and couldn't help but roll my eyes at the semblance of victory she had gained. She moved to leave, saying something over her shoulder about dinner being ready shortly before leaving me with my thoughts.

Silence settled over the room as I sat, observing the room's contents while listlessly wondering how much this small section of the house alone was worth.

I began to tap my finger, and was thankfully rescued from the grim boredom that was threatening to sink its teeth in by the two rascals who had finally returned.

I smiled as the two rolled in, their radiant air bringing life to the room; which had me thinking – that easily made yet scarcely performed reaction was only brought out of me by these two. There wasn't much to smile about these days.

"I'm all ready to go Dad." Goten affirmed, holding up his backpack.

"Well, you can relax for now. We're going to stay for dinner."

"Awesome!" Trunks cheered, then his expression grew strangely serious. He leaned forward, cupping a hand to his mouth and whispered, "hey Gohan, wanna cookie?"

I shook my head, snorting in amusement. "No sweets before dinner kiddo, you two are hyper enough as it is."

He pouted, while Goten nodded firmly like he couldn't agree more.

After a few minutes Bulma poked her head in and announced that dinner was ready. The seven and eight year old ran ahead while I followed behind to the dining room.

Moving down the hall and to the right, we came to a room that was a lot fancier than the kitchen. Ochroid-painted walls were decorated in what I could only guess was expensive paintings, while a crystal chandelier dangled over the dark varnished wood of the table, shimmering in the sunlight spilling in through the window on the other side of the room. It wasn't exactly the eating environment I was use to.

It had been years since I'd explored the inner layers of Capsule Corp. and in that time it appeared some changes had been made. It wasn't unexpected though; I knew Bulma had a fondness for remodelling, probably more so than the average person.

I remember Krillin giving her a hard time once after she'd completely redecorated her bedroom four times in a span of one year. And considering how often she changed her hair and wardrobe, it came as no surprise that that tendency translated to her home's appearance as well.

It was still a little hard to believe how much Bulma had changed over these past few years; I guess you could say matured more so than changed. She was no longer the spunky girl that I'd came to know, who carried just as much sensitivity and stubbornness as she did intelligence and charm. Though the traits were still there, that fire in the girl I'd traveled to Namek with no longer burned with such enthusiasm these days.

But like they say, time has its way of wearing down even the most high-spirited people, and I guess meeting and having a kid with The Prince of all Saiyans would have a changing effect on anyone. But I should be the last person to criticize anyone else's transitions in the path they're taking in life, given my own circumstances.

Pulling out a chair, I took a seat at the four –legged structure that everything within range centered around and provided the room with purpose, Goten doing the same as he tugged out the chair next to me. The table's long surface was buried under mountains of food – the vast supply needed to satisfy the bottomless appetite of a saiyan.

I drew my attention across the table to Trunks, finding blue eyes unblinking and mouth agape as he stared longingly down at the feast. I inwardly smirked in amusement; there was no doubting the Saiyan blood running through his veins.

Veering my gaze to my right, I caught sight of the sharp tips of tussled spikes, the rest of the small figure cut off and hidden behind the table's ledge.

I chuckled under my breath. "You're gonna need a higher chair, little man."

"Give him that cushion over by the wall," Bulma suggested, pointing behind me. "He usually sits on that."

I nodded, standing up to grab the red plush cushion. I held it out to Goten who snatched the offering with a sour face.

"You're so small Goten. I wasn't that small a year ago," Trunks teased.

"Be nice Trunks," Bulma said with an undertone of warning.

"Be quiet Trunks. When I get older I'm gonna be taller than you!" Goten defended, petulantly crossing his arms.

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?" The older boy challenged, leaning forward.

Seeing one of their little squabbles beginning to unfold, I decided to cut in before it got out of hand.

"You know," I began with enough volume to reel in their heated gazes and divert their attention from each other. "I'm taller than Mirai Trunks was."

There was a pause, like my words were being turned over and thoroughly examined in their young minds. I lifted my gaze, finding blue orbs had rounded with what I could only guess was a hint of alarm.

"…T-that doesn't matter." Trunks countered, lacking his prior confidence.

I shrugged, feigning casualty. "I'm just saying."

The two fell into a sudden bout of silence, but the expressions they wore spoke louder than words. Goten's face seemed to glow with his open happiness, while Trunks' tightened, his lips pressed firmly together as he stared down at his plate as if wholly contemplating my words that supposedly 'didn't matter.' And I couldn't find it in me to feel bad, knowing the tables were usually turned between the two with the older boy having the upper hand.

We were all brought out of our musing by an abrupt entrance into the room. Vegeta walked in, deprived of his usual apparel and instead sporting a black muscle-shirt and gray sweatpants. He made his way to the other end of the table, pulling out a chair but making no move to sit down.

Instead, his dark eyes cut straight to me, zeroing in like a hawk. His signature frown etched deeper, eyes pinching in scrutiny as he gave me the one over. Then, as if suddenly realizing he could care less, he grunted, tearing away his hard gaze and proceeding to take a seat.

Playing ignorant to the other Saiyan, I lowered my gaze to the food, immediately feeling my hunger awaken. Luckily I didn't have to wait long as Bulma spoke the magic words-

"Alright you Saiyans, dig in."

She didn't have to tell us twice.

I kept my eyes fixed on my meal, but I could practically feel the force behind the cutting stare currently being levelled on me, and I knew exactly who the owner of that stare was without having to so much as sneak a glance of confirmation.

I knew with absolute certainty that when Bulma politely invited me to stay for dinner, it wasn't purely out of the goodness of her heart – it was easy for her to allude to my evasiveness for support in her persistent plan to get me here. She was a cunning lady, so it wasn't paranoid of me to believe there was some motive behind her actions that would've appeared seemingly innocent to anyone else, and the way she was closely watching me now only heightened my suspicions.

It was all strategy on her part - she had questions; she _always_ had questions. And what better way to get answers than pester me with them while in the presence of others - and our families nonetheless - that way I couldn't rely on my usual tactics of either making some snide remark or merely avoiding her harassment.

Evil. She was pure evil. More evil than Frieza.

Okay, maybe that was a bit harsh, but dammit did she get on my nerves sometimes. I wanted to just look straight at her and outright ask what the hell she wanted; but I knew then I'd be handing her exactly what she wanted. No, I just had to stay quiet and eat, then get the hell out of here. I tried to keep my concentration solely on that simply task, but already felt my appetite quickly shrivelling away.

"Mom?" I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as Trunks broke the excruciating stare along with the silence.

"Yes, sweetie?"

The lavender haired boy poked at his food with his fork before speaking hesitantly. "Uhh… well, I was just wondering… is it true that…" He paused, lifting his head toward his mother before asking, "Is it true that you were turned into a frog?"

The deadly silence that flooded the room would have made a pin drop sound like a firecracker going off. I looked from Trunks' curious face to Bulma, finding she had gone rigid, her face stricken with horror like someone was holding a gun to her head.

To her, the odd question probably seemed to come out of left field; but I couldn't stop the amusement from bubbling inside as I knew the origin of the sudden query.

…I _may_ have recently let that little tidbit slip to the demi-saiyan. He wanted to know what bizarre things I'd seen while I was on another planet, so how was I supposed to give him a proper recount if I left out that important detail? Now I think I'd have to let some more dirt on her out of the bag – it seemed to have its perks.

I covered my mouth with my fist, smoothing out the smirk that threatened to show itself. The fact that Bulma was a woman obsessed with her appearance only heightened my amusement at watching her being called out on such an embarrassing concept as once being changed into a frog.

Goten's mouth was hung open, the food that was held halfway to his mouth interrupted in its navigation as he stared bug-eyed at the blue-haired woman. As if sensing my eyes on him, he made an almost slow-motion turn of his head toward me, and I must've been failing to shield my amusement as well as I thought, because the second his chestnut orbs looked to me, breathy giggles trickled from his lips.

Trunks eyes darted to the younger demi-saiyan, his senses picking up on the air of amusement as he firmly pressed his lips together to stop his own giggles from escaping.

Bulma appeared to have visibly paled at this point, and I didn't bother to fight my smile as both youngsters laughter rang through the room. I looked across, even seeing amusement playing in Vegeta's coal eyes and a subtle quirk of his lips.

When Bulma seemed to finally recover from the shock, her features darkened at the chorus of laughter, knowing it was at her expense. The laughter quickly died down after that, and her eyes cut across to me. She clearly wasn't very happy, if her smoldering glare was anything to go by.

When she spoke, her voice was higher and held just as much wonder as it did venom. "What have you been telling those two?"

I dropped my gaze back down to my plate, keeping my tone light in spite of her obvious perturbedness. "Oh come on Bulma, I thought you made a rather charming frog, slime and all."

That statement earned me another round of giggles.

Bulma on the other hand was not impressed. She crossed her arms grudgingly, tilting her chin away but not bother to add insult to injury, which I found odd since she wasn't one to take an insult lying down.

After the youthful laughter finally faded, the rest of dinner carried on with a quiet ease. The males at the table greedily shovelled down there portions while the single lady pecked away at hers. Bulma still flicked fleeting glances at me but said nothing, which I was thankful for.

Once every dish on the large table had been savaged and sucked dry, I relaxed back in my chair with a satisfyingly filled stomach. I'd be lying if I said that wasn't one of the better meals I had in a long time. I took a drink of my water, only to sense the prickle of dark onyx orbs levelled on me. I gulped down the liquid, then turned and turned my head to see Vegeta studying me closely.

"So boy" I slightly tensed at Vegeta's husky voice, taken off guard. Vegeta wasn't the most social individual... hell, he didn't speak to me at all unless it was to insult me or my father, or have some remark about fighting or Saiyan heritage. At first I thought maybe he was speaking to Trunks, but his glare was still focused on me. The look might have intimidated me when I was younger, but it would take a lot more than that to even remotely frighten me now. He continued without my response. "The tournament is in thirty days, do you plan on showing up or are these human's too petrifying for you?"

"Tournament?" I questioned in confusion.

"Yah! The world martial art's tournament!" Trunks intervened enthusiastically.

"Oh… that tournament. Uh, well I haven't really thought about it actually. Why do you ask?" I was scratching the back of my head with my hand, but I dropped it the second I took notice. It was a dreadful habit I'd unfortunately inherited from my father, and I'd been trying to get out of it.

"Well, the Namekian asked me to attend and I suggest you do the same. Unless you are too scared that is. Hmm?"

That caught me off guard. Piccolo wanted us in the tournament? I found it odd that he would go to Vegeta about this before mentioning it to me, but I kept my questions to myself.

"Hey Trunks," Goten whispered beside me.

"Yeah?"

"What's a Namekian?"

"Oh, that's just Piccolo's last name."

"Oooh… okay"

I lifted out of my pool of thought and met Vegeta's gaze.

"Well... I don't really thi-" I was cut off by Bulma.

"Oh come on Gohan! I've been planning this for a while. It's a great way to get the gang back together and have some fun! What do you say?"

"And I heard there will be a worthy opponent attending," Vegeta alleged with a sly smirk. The smirk quickly vanished as he turned and glared at Bulma.

"Why did you kick me woman?"

Bulma rolled her eyes and slapped a hand to her forehead. I ignored the strange exchanged and glanced across at the lavender haired boy who was practically bouncing off his chair with his brimming excitement. Whatever he was holding in couldn't be contained any longer and he splurged the words in a loud exhale.

"ME AND GOTEN ARE GOING TO FIGHT TOO! That is, if you say it's okay," he finished with a sheepish smile.

"Goten and I" Vegeta corrected in his usual harsh tone.

"Yeah, I mean Goten and I," Trunks revised without a blink.

I finally drew my attention to Goten, but he never met my gaze, only fidgeting with his hands under the table.

I looked between Bulma and Vegeta. "Aren't they a little young-"

"They are Saiyan's, they are never too young for battle. Besides, they need the practice. Especially yours."

I rotated back to Goten whose eyes were still lowered to the table.

"Hey" I said softly, making him slowly lift his gaze until it met mine. "Do you want to be in the tournament?"

He bit his bottom lip, then gave a small nod.

"You sure?" I already knew he wanted to, but was nervous to ask me. I hated to see him look scared, especially towards me.

"Yeah."

I sighed. It reminded me of the times when I asked my mother to go train or fight alongside my father, and how she would go ballistic and rant on and on until she would eventually calm down and unwillingly agree. She didn't necessarily always agree, but when she didn't I usually ended up sneaking off anyway.

I've just been so protective of Goten. Even though I've trained him, I never wanted him to have to engage in the type of battles that I had to growing up. I wanted him to remain out of harm's way and hold onto his innocence. I knew it would be impossible to shelter him away from the life of battle, he was a half saiyan after all, who possessed a warrior spirit and drive just like me. I saw the glimmer he held in his eyes when he was fighting, the pure joy and adrenaline. Plus, it wasn't like my entire childhood was a nightmare, there was both good and bad aspects.

I looked at his round face that radiated innocence, and knew I couldn't deny him something that meant so much to him. I guess I could rave about all the dangers involved like my mother would, but there really was no point. In the end, I would falter at the hands of a child like I'd done so many times before.

"I guess if you really want to..." I finally said at length.

His face transformed into the epitome of pure joy that managed to stretch all the way over and breach my own heart. To see him so happy made any uneasiness forming in my gut melt away as the chibi shined his signature Son grin.

Trunks and Goten looked at each other with the same joyous expression. "YAY!"

I couldn't help but smile. "Now go get ready so we can head home."

Both of them bolted out of the room without another word. I was about to get up from table when I was halted by the lady at the table.

"So what about you?" Bulma asked with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Vegeta looked bored beside her, awaiting my answer so he could leave.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not."

Vegeta grunted and left the room, while Bulma clapped her hands in delight.

We both stood up from the table and she walked me to the door where Trunks and Goten stood making faces at each other.

"Thanks for dinner, Bulma" I said, doing my best to be a polite guest.

"No problem. I wish you would stay more often - so we'll see you at the tournament next month then?"

"Yeah, see you there." Without another word I went out the door, followed by Goten after his goodbyes.

We ascended to the sky and I turned my head to him as he flew beside me. "We're going to have to turn your training up a notch if you want to be ready in time for the tournament."

"I'm ready!" He gave an affirmative nod. I smiled and looked ahead.

Goten wasn't the only one who had to concentrate on his training for the next couple of weeks, I'd have to put in my time as well. I'd been training steadily throughout the last few years, but never had the opportunity to face any worthy competition. I smirked as I felt the anticipation of this tournament begin to increase my adrenaline.

Vegeta would likely be the only one who posed any type of threat to me, but I was aware that I'd surpassed him and remained ahead to this day, even if he spent every waking second of the last eight years doing nothing but training. But I also knew that anything could happen in a match, and that no opponent should be underestimated. The sheer concept of combat lifted my mood. I was finally ready to fight again.

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[Edited 2012]


	5. A Weary Mind

A/N: Woohoo new chapter! I'm glad everyone likes how I'm perceiving Gohan, cause lets face it...the best Gohan is a badass Gohan. Am I right?

I'm really trying to keep all the other characters in this story in character so I hope I am ..?

Thanks for the positive reviews guys, the support keeps me motivated to keep this story rolling so here's another chapter hope you like it!

* * *

I sat at the kitchen table with dozens of papers and folders scattered on top disorderly. I had apparently waited last minute to file my taxes and was now forced to miserably stare at these documents which I'd been unsuccessfully trying to sort out. This was the aspect of being independent that I had extreme animosity for. I thought living out in the woods and away from the industrial city would aid me in avoiding these circumstances but apparently I had sorely mistaken. Now I had been trifling for hours with this matter which meant absolutely nothing to me. I thought about asking Bulma for help but decided against it. She had done enough for me, and I hated asking for anyone's help.

Finally finishing, I rubbed my temples with my fingertips feeling a headache starting to form. I began to clean up when a knock on the door interrupted me. Who the hell could that be_?_ I stood up and stretched my arms, loosening the tension in my joints from sitting stationary for far too long and walked to the door.

My mind was still slightly scrambled from staring at papers for the last couple hours as I swung open the door. I was surprisingly greeted by a little blonde haired girl with pigtails and a stocky boy with dark hair that had his head lowered so I couldn't see his face.

"Uh, can I help you?" I rarely got visitors, which was one of the perks of living out in the middle of nowhere. I enjoyed my privacy.

"Hey! Is that any way to greet a friend?" I frowned as I recognized the voice, the dark haired boy raised his head and my eyes expanded as I examined the familiar facial features.

"Krillin?" I questioned in disbelief.

"Of course it's me! Who else has a face as handsome as this one!" He said aiming a thumb in his direction.

He took notice of my state of shock. "I know, I know....I've got hair right? Yah, well....when you get married and have a kid you feel like you have to change things up you know?"

That only added to my bewilderment. I had heard that Krillin had married Android 18 which at the time I found very surprising considering their contrasting personalities and well, her being an android and all. But they had a kid? I turned my gaze to the little girl standing beside him and studied her face. Yup, she was definitely Krillin's kid. But the more important question was how in the hell did an android have a kid? I very much wanted to voice my question but deemed it inappropriate at the moment and didn't want to risk offending Krillin after not seeing him for so long.

"Kid?" was all I could managed to get out.

"Yup, oh I guess you've never met her before huh? This is Marron, say hi Marron."

"Hi!" She waved. Krillin carried on before I could respond. "She's a real sweetheart. But anyway...Wow Gohan look at you! You sure have grown up since the last time I saw you. I guess I couldn't be taller then you forever but woohoo boy are you tall!"

"Yah.." I started scratching the back of my head but stopped and inwardly cursed. I opened the door wider and let them inside.

"So what brings you by?" I asked.

"Well, I thought I'd drop by to make sure you were coming to the tournament in a few weeks. Eighteen and I are both competing, I think it'd be fun even though I can't say I stand much of a chance against you Saiyan's these days. Eighteen's only doing it for the money but hey who am I to judge?"

"Um yah, Goten wants to go so we'll both be there."

"That's great! Both of you need to be there! Where is the little guy anyway, I haven't seen him in a while."

I called for Goten and he loitered into the room dusting his hands off on his trousers from doing Dende knows what. He was wearing the orange and blue gi that Master Roshi had given him for training which was a replica of the one my father wore. I wasn't overly enthusiastic about it, but Goten seemed to take a liking to the bright colors so I hadn't objected. He looked up and grinned "Hey Krillin!"

Krillin stood gawking at Goten. "Wow...You look just like him." I rolled my eyes, he didn't have to say who _him_ was for me to know exactly who he was referring to. And of course he looked like him with that damn gi on, if I wore those colors I'd look like my father too.

"Like who?" Goten asked.

"Your father."

"I do?" Goten tilted his head curiously and looked over at me. I turned to Krillin and realized by the look on his face that he wasn't going to say much else anytime soon. So I took the liberty of speaking. "Krillin and Marron came over to see if we're going to the tournament."

Krillin jerked out of his transfixion. "Yah, so hows training goin' squirt?"

"Good! I've been training really really hard!"

"Yah…that seems to run in the family. So what do you say you come along to Master Roshi's house and show me some of your moves huh?"

Goten's face lit up and he turned his dark orbs to me. "Can I Dad?"

"Sure, just clean up before you go." I didn't know exactly what it was he had to clean up, but he was obviously doing something before he assembled to the kitchen. He nodded and ran out of the room. Krillin and Marron said goodbye and waited outside. Goten hurried back in the kitchen after about thirty seconds.

"See ya later Daddy love ya."

"Love you too, now take it easy out there alright?" He nodded before retreating out the door. With Goten off for the day it was now my opportunity to get some of my own unconstrained training in with no obligations or interruptions.

\\\

I stood in the center of the gravity room letting the sudden pressure of 700x gravity wash over me. I never used the gravity room that often, being use to the outdoor landscape as my training grounds. But I did utilize the machine in times when I needed to amplify my training regimen. In the moments when I hungered to pressure every facet of myself to their limits. There was always something about being in the premises of the gravity room that surfaced an instinctive need to drive myself. The technological atmosphere that confined me, the blinking lights, the computers....it all made me feel as though I was in an entirely different world, an entirely different galaxy, and the only purpose I served was to magnify my power.

I had no idea whether or not there was a level beyond a SS2, and I honestly didn't believe there was. But my doubt didn't prevent me from continuing to strive for more, even if I was at the final stage of transformation, the same stage as Vegeta and my deceased father had already achieved, I still yearned to catapult myself to the top of that echelon, and being superior then every other life force, leaving no one capable of overpowering me. No one would be able to control me, especially physically....not anymore.

I closed my eyes, clearing my mind and allowing my muscles to adjust. I could hear my little robotic friends hovering around me, awaiting my attack. But merely standing there in the isolation under the tension that few other beings on this planet could withstand was somehow soothing. I tightened the red belt around the waist of my navy gi that I've grown custom to. I opened my eyes and instantly raised an arm and shot a blast at one of the bots, and quickly followed it with two more. I disregarded my position in the center of the machines, swooping and dodging my own attacks as I labored my reflexes.

I continued working my momentum for a few minutes before deciding to turn things up a notch and increasing the gravity 50x. After adding the additional pressure I rendered some push ups and sit ups before going back to working with the bots. I moved fluently, firing and dodging attacks, swiftly coordinating my movements until suddenly, a blinding flash of light spiraled through me and I was taken somewhere entirely different.

_"Wow you caught one already! Now keep a firm grip on it, you don't want to lose it." _

_"It's huge Daddy! I can't believe I caught one!"_

_"Yah on the first try too, great job! Now lets go show your mom what you caught."_

_"Mommy! Mommy! Come look!"_

_"What is it Gohan?"_

_"Look at the fish I caught!"_

_"You caught huh?"_

_"Yup! All by myself!"_

_"He's a real pro Chi, caught it on the first try. I guess he must take after me"_

_"Well, it looks like we're having you're favorite for dinner Goku."_

I blinked as the imagine deliquesced and the world returned to the familiar dim confinement of the gravity chamber. Before I could comprehend what had just happen a ki blast struck me square in the face propelling me backwards to the hard floor. I caught my barring's in time to block the next couple of blasts before they had the chance to land. I slumped back to the ground and tightly squinched my eyes shut, laying unmoving under the profound gravity, feeling its overwhelming leverage with every breath I took. What the hell had just happened? I wiped the sweat off my face with my forearm and slowly opened my eyes.

Memories.

Suddenly my subdued anger began to flare. Invading my sleep was one thing but playing these psychological mind games during my sole training was another. I narrowed my eyes and pulled myself upright. It seemed as though the only opposition that was having any type of effect on me these days was myself. I knew if I allowed the fury I had embodied for all these years to be unleashed was giving the darkness exactly what it desired, and I would be surrendering the self control I'd been able to maintain for so long. But right now I couldn't hold back the ferocious flames that burned for freedom. Not now.

I walked over to the control panel and increased the gravity another 25x. I closed my eyes and embraced the crushing strength of the weight. I clenched my fists and opened my eyes allowing my once dark orbs to fade. I firmly clamped my jaw shut and transformed straight to SS2. There were no burdens restricting me in this confinement, now I had no choice but to let the dark power that's become apart of who I am free.

I fired double the amount of ki blasts and stood my ground. Images swirled through my head fast-forwarding like a movie. But I didn't stop them, I allowed all the inner turmoil escalate to the surface. Pitch darkness took over my world, smoke began to cloud my vision and my body began to quaver under every force acting upon it. But I didn't let any of this distract my focus, I proceeded to move swiftly channeling all my energy to my assault. I refused to slow down, continuing to increase my movement, continuing to sharpen my attacks. Thrusting forward, pushing and pushing with every ounce of strength I held.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eyes, but that only added to my fuel. I implemented more combinations beneath the pressure...kicking, firing, punching, dodging.

It still wasn't enough, the need for more still escalated and I yelled, boosting my power to its maximum. The entire room began to shake under the intensity and I knew it couldn't withhold much longer to this unstable power, but the thought was shoved to the back of my mind. It didn't matter to me, nothing mattered now. The only thing that I could feel was the vivid force that had complete control over me. Fury.

I'd already reached my limit but I refused to stop here, continuing my onslaught. With one final yell I burst through the barriers and let every element buried inside of me loose. The dominate darkness that overtook me alternated to a blinding disarray of colors.

And I stood still, breathing heavily, my vision blurry. I tried to order my blank mind to function. Where was I? What happened? And why do I feel so....different? I looked down to analyze myself, trying to regain my focus. The powerful golden aura still surrounded me, but the gold seemed more radiant somehow. I studied my hands and saw the floor around me slightly caved in and the floor slashed with cracks. My body, it felt so strange, so different, yet so strong. Allowing the dark parts of me released didn't make me feel the agony I had before. I was still able to maintain control, and the power I held, it felt almost...good.

Before I could speculate any further on this new found energy a blinding flash of light struck me once again and I fell to me knee's. There were no images this time, but instead a hot pain sliced through me like a knife. I grabbed my abdomen as my body felt as though it's entire energy was being drained. And in a sudden flash, every ounce of strength zapped out of me, and I flung face first to the ground. The impact felt a hundred times worse with the violent amount of gravity acting on me.

I managed to drag myself over to the control panel and hit the off button making me feel like the weight of the world had been lifted off my shoulders. I slid to my hands and knee's gasping for the much needed air I was restricted from taking seconds ago and watched the sweat drip off of my body and splash to the floor forming a small puddle underneath me.

I somehow discovered the strength to haul myself out of the isolated chamber and into the house. I slithered out of my sweaty gi and into a pair of lose pants before collapsing on the couch. I couldn't bring myself to take a shower or do anything for that matter. My muscles were throbbing, exhaustion couldn't even begin to describe how I felt. It was a reduced feeling that I had never experienced in my entire life, not even after engaging in the many treacherous battles of my childhood. It even ached to move my eyelids, but the moment they slid fully shut I was captured into a dead-like slumber.

_Ring. Ring_.

My eyes were closed, the world was dark, but I could hear something off in the distance. It sounded like a....phone?

_Ring. Ring_.

Was I dreaming? No, there was nothing hear, it couldn't be a dream. I parted my eyes and the darkness dissolved. My eyes were reluctant to stay open, I was still so tired. If I just closed them again I could fall-

_Ring. Ring_.

I tightly squeezed my eyes shut then fully opened them, the phone was ringing. My eyelids slid shut once again and I dragged my hand across the tabletop to my right until it landed on the device that needed to be silenced. I pressed a button that I assumed was the on button but wasn't positive because my eyes were still closed. I placed the phone to my ear.

"Mmmm?"

"Gohan?"

"Mmmph"

"Uh hey its Krillin. Listen, uh...could you maybe come and get Goten. We love having him here and all it's just...he's a little hyperactive."

"You give 'em sugar?" I murmured.

"Well, he sorta ate the sugar along with everything else in the house...heh"

"Hmph, I'll be right there." I opened my eyes and pushed myself up and was instantly overcome with dizziness. As much as my body demanded me to stay put I knew I couldn't leave Goten on Master Roshi's Island for too long and risk having everyone there die of starvation.

It took some effort but I managed to stand up and carry myself out of the house and into the sky as I still felt light-headed. What was wrong with me? I had never felt so severely fatigued and weakened in all my life especially after training, although I never had a training session quite like one I had just been involved in. As I glided through the dreary night sky I couldn't help but notice the evening breeze was rather chili.

I wasn't sure exactly how I was able to direct myself there, but I managed to arrive at Roshi's Island. I thought maybe I was intuitively drawn to Goten's familiar ki. I landed at the front door of the house and heard talking inside, so I knocked once and opened the door.

All eyes turned to me as I stepped in the house. Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar sat around a table playing cards while Krillin stood off to the side being a spectator. Master Roshi lowered his sunglasses to the bridge of his nose and stared up at me with his jaw dropped. "Gohan... is that you?" His eyes trailed downward and he studied me from head to toe before meeting my gaze once again. "Hmm, the style sure has changed since my day."

I raised an eyebrow and lowered my head only to realize that I was wearing nothing but a pair of loose plaid beige pajama bottoms. My weary mind had even overlooked a pair of shoes, no wonder I found it cold on the flight over. Less then ten years ago I may have felt embarrassed in this situation, but now I couldn't feel more indifferent. I scratched my bare chest and looked back up.

Everyone seemed to be staring at me speechless making me a little annoyed at their dumbfounded demeanor. I cleared my throat and turned my eyes to the thin familiar figure with blonde hair who entered the room. She froze and stared at me, apparently following the lead of everyone else in the room. I hadn't seen her in years so I was a little surprised at the sight of her, and I assumed she had the same frame of mind especially since I probably had changed a lot since the last time she had seen me. When she finally managed to blink she let out a 'hmph' before crossing her arms and leaning against the wall beside her husband.

Master Roshi was the one who finally spoke up. "You've grown into quite the young man there Gohan. Haven't seen much of you around."

"Been busy." was all I offered him, but he seemed to accept it and nodded.

"Looks like you've been keeping up with your training. Following in old mans footsteps I see."

I didn't bother answering and turned my gaze to Krillin. He took my inaudible message and called for Goten. Eighteen must of felt the same awkwardness in the immensely quiet room as I did and walked out, too bad I didn't have that option. After a minute of dire struggle to keep my eyes open the seven year old finally wobbled into the room looking grim.

He looked up at me lazily. "Hi Daddy." Everyone's expression in the room seemed to turn solemn as they lowered their heads and shifted in a slightly uncomfortable fashion. I didn't know whether they felt pity for me or missed the man who was suppose to be a father to the both of us, but whatever it was that saddened them about mine and Goten's life angered me. I just ignored them all and smiled down at him. He yawned and rubbed his eyes with his fists. "Daddy I'm tired."

Krillin snorted. "Yah you're tired now."

"Common, let's go home. I'll carry you on my back." I offered him my hand and he took it. I placed my other hand on the doorknob and turned my head to Goten as I twisted the handle. "Say bye."

He slowly spun around to face the others. "Bye Krillin. Bye Master Roshi. Bye Oolong. Bye Puar. Bye Eighteen. Bye Marron." He said the last two names even though they weren't currently in the room. I opened the door and let him walk out first, I nodded to the others and took a step outside.

"Gohan." I turned my head and glanced at Master Roshi. His usual soft lively expression had grown serious and stale as he stared at me. "You're a good kid." I stared at him for a moment, absorbing his words, then walked out of the house. There was so much wrong with that simple statement that I didn't even know where to begin.

I knelt down in the cool night air and allowed Goten to wrap his arms around my neck and hop on my back before we lifted off the ground. Master Roshi saying that I was a good kid was like saying Godzilla was cute and cuddly. No, I was not a kid, and I was far from good.

* * *

Soo....are we off to the tournament next chapter? I dunno...we're gonna have to wait and see ***grins***


	6. Calm Before The Storm

I laid on the smooth grass with my hands behind my head and watched the sun sink in the horizon as the day grew old. It was the evening before the tournament, and today was a day spent doing nothing but relaxing and breathing in natures tranquility. Something I'd learned at a young age was that approximately three days before engaging in any type of combat was always spent resting and allowing you're body to gain strength and heal any wounds, and that concept had stuck with me ever since. Goten didn't seem to share my belief in this approach even though I explained to him the importance of it, but he was still eager to do any last minute preparations.

I turned my head and peered at the chibi sitting crossed legged beside me. He was looking down, plucking strands of grass and fidgeting with them in his hands.

"Hey" My voice nipped through the silent field. He blinked and turned his head to me. His usual chipper appearance was unordinarily flat. "What's the matter?"

He was quiet for a moment, then crawled closer to me and laid down. "Nothing" He finally whispered.

"Nervous about tomorrow?" He turned his dark orbs from the sky to me and I could see a hint of worry in them. He gave a small shrug.

"You know-" I looked back up at the sky, "it's okay to be nervous, I'm a little nervous too."

I took a quick glance at him and saw some hope flicker across his face. "Really?"

"Sure." Of course, I really wasn't, but I could tell he needed the reassurance. In truth, I never nourished the feeling of true fear for a very long time. I was plagued with the sensation so much throughout my childhood that now it was almost a foreign concept to me. Nothing had made me feel endangered and triggered any type of alarmed reaction, which I guess I should be thankful for the state of peace the world was in. This tournament was a way for me to pass time more then anything, but it obviously meant much more to Goten. He hadn't been involved in any fray beyond training, although he still wouldn't be able to showcase his true potential tomorrow given that the vast majority of the opponents he'd be facing would be human. I'd already went over some rules with him and Trunks about what they can and can't do tomorrow, and at the top on that list was turning Super Saiyan.

It was six months ago when Goten first transformed, and to say that I was shocked would be an understatement. We were sparing in a common clearing in the woods, and I didn't know whether I had been excessively focused that day or was a little ill-tempered, but whatever it was I was very critical of his performance. I wouldn't say I was cruel or bitter towards him, but I was reprimanding him by saying things such as "common Goten you can do better then that!" and "this is basic stuff you've already learned you should be able to do this!" I really try not to be hard on him, but like I said, I was having an off day. He didn't take my words too kindly and was first overwhelmed with discouragement and having the urge to give up, but then he was suddenly overcome with a rush of determination and anger. And at that point I had turned my back to him and was ready to call it a day. I was lost in my own thoughts when I was unexpectedly slammed to the ground from behind. I pulled my face from the dirt and began to stand up only to stumble back down when my eyes focused on the vibrant golden seven-year-old. He stood in a fighting stance, with diligence written on his face, and all I could do was gape at him and stutter as I struggled to put together a sentence. I mean, can you really blame me? He was seven years old! I had to spend a year in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber under immensely intense training before I obtained the ability to transform, and I was eleven at the time. But after finding out that Trunks too, was in fact a Super Saiyan, I concluded that there must be something discrete about there generation, or someone must of put some type of chemical in the water. So for him to hold any insecurity about a minor tournament seemed surreal to me, even with a overly crowded environment.

I was curious to see if Piccolo would show up tomorrow. He hadn't come around once throughout the entire month which was a little unusual, but I assumed he was preparing just like the rest of us. I knew he competed in the tournament years ago against my father, so I was eager to see if he would make an appearance. Piccolo is like myself when it comes to people, -especially crowds- he would rather remain secluded from them.

"A large crowd like that can be pretty intimidating. But you just have to keep you're focus and remember what you're there to do."

He nodded slowly. "But what if I don't do good tomorrow?" He whispered.

"Goten" I sat up and faced him. "I'm more worried about you hurting someone then I am of you losing."

"I just..." He looked down and bit his bottom lip.

"Just what?"

He lifted his head and locked eyes with me. "I just wanna be really strong like you. You're the strongest guy in the whole wide world."

I sighed. Was that what this was about? Did he think he could disappoint me? "Listen Goten. Whether you win, lose, or don't even fight at all, I'll still be proud of you alright? Don't ever think you could disappoint me."

He lowered his head and gave a small nod, and I leaned down and drew him into a tight hug. I released him and ruffled his hair. "Now let's go get something to eat, I'm hungry."

"Me too." We stood up, stretching and wiping off our clothing.

"Common, I'll race you back to the house." I sprinted off the second the words exited my mouth.

"Hey no fair! You got a head start!" He shouted.

"What was that? I couldn't here you because you're so far behind." He grumbled something then cheered as I let him swoop by me through the wavering turf and towards the house.

* * *

Bit of a short and sweet chap, thought I'd split it up instead of making one really long chapter.

We're off to the tournament next chapter....**I promise **^_^

Okay so....I think I've decided that I'm **not** going to include the whole Majin Buu saga in this story, and not have Shin & Kibito at the tournament. I think it would lead the story in another direction and take away the focus on the characters. And lets face it, that saga is sooooo long. But don't worry I still have lots of drama and conflict in store and I've came up with a way to run with some of my own ideas but not necessarily dismissing the whole Buu ordeal. I'm not going to pretend as though Buu didn't happen altogether, just....not in this story lol. Just wanted to know your guys' thoughts on that & I will try to get the next chap. up asap!


	7. Ghost Of The Past

A/N: Sorry about the wait, this chapter _should_ of been up a while ago, but my damn brother screwed around with my laptop and deleted everything on my drive including this chapter so I had to rewrite the thing and I was pissed so I put it off for a while. Ok, now that I got that off my chest, here it is. :)

Since Julian Carax brought it up I just thought I would let everyone know that this will **not **be a Gohan/Videl fic. Why you ask? Let's just say I'm not a fan, sorry if you are a fan. I didn't even know whether I would include her in the story at all... but I decided that it'd be unfair if I didn't so she will be in it.....if you were wondering.

Ok that's all. Thanks for reading and Oh thanks for all the awesome reviews guys! :)

* * *

It was arranged that all the z fighters would gather at Capsule Corp. and travel to the tournament together. All the members of the old gang had showed up, and I'll admit, it was strange seeing all the familiar faces together once again. It'd been years since I'd seen some of them, and even though seven years had past none of them appeared any different to me.

Nobody bothered to say anything to me beyond a brief greeting when we arrived, they mostly chose to gush over Goten. They refrained from actually saying out loud how much Goten resembled my father, but I could tell by the looks on their faces that it was exactly what they were thinking. When it was confirmed that everyone was present, we all boarded Bulma's capsule plane. As I took my seat in the snug enclosure, I couldn't help but detect a level of excitement from everyone. Krillin laughed, Bulma and Yamcha smiled, everyone seemed to openly display their high spirits, well, except for Vegeta and Eighteen who wore their usual frowns. I highly doubted that their glee was on account of the tournament. I mean, let's face it, the champion is Hercule Satan, that should be enough to indicate the level of competition it will have to offer. Maybe they were all just excited about having the group reunited again after so many years, but whatever the reason was, I didn't share their enthusiasm.

It was a packed ride in Bulma's plane, everyone cramped into the limited space of the vehicle and we lifted off to the arena. Vegeta voiced his disapproval of using the machine when we were perfectly capable of flying there on our owns, and I couldn't of agreed more. I tapped my finger on the armrest, feeling slightly tense at being trapped in the small sector, suffocating in the overwhelming joyous emotions around me. I took a deep breath and slowly released it, I looked over my shoulder at the raven haired chibi sitting behind me who's face beamed with excitement. I had to remember that I was here today for him, so I would try to enjoy myself for his sake. He always refers to me as 'the strongest guy in the world,' so I think I'd prove him right today.

"So he's really going to be there?" Krillin asked enthusiastically. That question earned him a nice stiff elbow to the ribs from Eighteen. "Oww! Hey! Oh yah, I mean....the tournaments going to be great, huh guys? Woohoo..." Eighteen rolled her eyes and Vegeta told him to shut up, which he spurned from protesting to. I had to wonder who exactly Krillin was referring to, he surely wasn't interested in seeing if Piccolo would show up like I was, those two had never been very close. But I couldn't help but be a little suspicious, there was something going on, I could tell that much....and for every ones sake it best not involve me.

As we arrived at our targeted destination, I made a hasty exit out of plane and firmly planted my feet to the earths surface before the aircraft even had the chance to fully land. I breathed in the warm fresh air; luckily no one seemed to notice my anxiety.

We walked as a unit through the crowded area. I really despised crowds, I shivered at the irking scene around me. People screaming for reasons unknown to even themselves, people invading your personal space. Loud and compact places have never been appealing to me. Oh how I would love to just blast each and every one of them in the mouth and shut them up for good. Every time I stand amongst them I feel as though I'm a wolf in the middle of a herd of sheep; the predator among the prey. I wasn't like them, I could never be like them; as if I wanted to.

Our group came to a halt as a pool of people emerged in front us and dashed by. I turned and glanced in the direction the stampede stormed off to and shook my head. It would appear that the idiotic imbecile Mr. Satan had arrived. Well, at least he could draw the crowd away from us and make this experience a little less miserable for me. We walked at too slow of a pace for my liking, so I stopped and turned to the two energetic chibi's beside me. "Hey, why don't you guys go ahead and register. See that booth over there where the line of people are." I pointed across the crowd. "I'll catch up in a few minutes alright." They nodded and were off in the blink of an eye.

I looked ahead and caught sight of a tall green figure departing from the shadows and joining the group that stood a few feet ahead of me. I couldn't help but smirk a little, so he really did show up after all. The z fighters had come to a stop once again, there backs were facing me, but I could tell there was no crowd blocking there path this time. I took their sudden stop as an opportunity to catch up and I stepped forward.

"Hey guys!" A cheerful voice rang.

I froze in my tracks. A cold chill ran down my spine. That voice, it sounded so much like....no, that was impossible.

"Whoa! Look at you guys! You sure have changed a lot in the last seven years."

I was unable to blink, my knee's suddenly felt weak and my body felt paralyzed.

It can't be...no...it couldn't....

"Goku! It's really you!" Krillin cried. "So..." His voice dropped, "you're only here for one day huh?"

"Yah. I guess you could say I got a free day's pass. And I thought what better way to spend it then to come back and compete in the tournament with you guys."

My body was shaking now, my mind was completely mystified.

Eight years....one day.....tournament…?

No, this wasn't real. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, that had to be it. Yes, just like it'd been doing a lot lately. That's all it was. I just had to move forward and prove that it was my own mental deficiency, but my self reassurance didn't seem to weaken my uneasiness. I brought my body in motion and cautiously stepped forward, my heart raced faster with each step I took.

"Well, don't I get a hug?"

Half the group ran forward. All their cheers and laughter became inaudible to me.

I hovered forward and stopped beside Piccolo. I could feel him studying me closely, but I couldn't take my unblinking eyes away from the spot where the group had huddled around. As they slowly backed away, my eyes rested on the figure that had drawn everyone's attention. The man stood tall, with a smile on his soft features, the same dark spiky hair, the same loose orange gi. It was him…it really was him.

The man who was my father.

The man who I hate.

He examined the circle of people and I continued to watch him until his eyes steered to me and came to a stop. His eyes widened substantially and he looked as though he was overcome with disbelief. "Gohan? Is that you? Wow....you're gigantic!"

My mind was a haze. For the first time in the last minute, I blinked. And I suddenly began to panic.

He took a step closer to me.

He shouldn't of stepped closer to me.

That face, his face, staring at me was enough to make my blood boil. Smoke began to cloud my vision, as a sudden rush of ferocity coursed through my veins.

My energy began to rise and he paused as he felt the sudden increase. Blackness swept over my vision, and the last thing I saw was the face of my former mentor who held a knowing gleam in his eyes before I was fully overpowered by the darkness.

"Gohan?"

The world came to a stop. The sound of my name seemed to bring me back to reality as the fog cleared and I could breathe again. Every face was staring at me with a mixture of worry and fear. I looked around and glanced at every one of them except for him, I couldn't look at him. I knew I had to get out of there before I did something I regretted....or didn't. I turned around and made a hasty exit into the crowd, walking as quick as possible without running, leaving them all in a impeded silence.

\\\

The group of fighters and family members stood silently watching as the young demi-saiyan vanished into the crowd. Goku walked over and stood beside Piccolo.

"Hey Piccolo, is something wrong with Gohan? He seemed kinda upset."

Piccolo continued to watch the crowd, even though the young saiyan was no longer visible. He turned his head to Goku. "I'll go talk to him."

Goku nodded and watched Piccolo drift though the crowd in the same direction Gohan had went.

'It looked like something was really bothering Gohan.' Goku thought, scratching the back of his head. 'Aww...that's too bad. I wanted to spend as much time as I could with him today. Oh well, maybe later.'

He turned back around and faced his friends. "So uh Krillin, why are you wearing a wig?"

\\\

I leaned against the wall of the narrow deserted hallway, staring blankly down at the white tiles, trying to calm myself down and comprehend what had just had happen. I could feel my body still slightly quivering after that surprising encounter. My father was dead, and he was still dead, the halo over his head proved that much. But he had come back for one day, and choose a day where he could spend his time doing nothing but fighting? My anger rose at the thought, some people never changed. Why did he have to be here? He was dead, and he should stay dead. Not come back for _one_ fucking day to fight and think everything that had happened was completely forgotten.

I heard Piccolo quietly enter the premises and approach me. I didn't even acknowledge him, I just kept looking down and taking deep breathes. He leaned on the wall beside me with his arms crossed, likely waiting for me to calm down enough to talk. After a few minutes my breathing steadied and I found the energy to speak.

"You knew" I hissed. "You all knew he was going to be here. But you didn't tell me. Why?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't come." He replied neutrally.

"You're damn right I wouldn't of come!" My voice rose and I closed my eyes. "What did you expect to happen, for us to hug and be one big happy fucking family for _one_ day?"

"No Gohan. I didn't think you would be happy about your father being here today, and I expected you to react the way you did. Why do you think I didn't mention this tournament to you before? But after thinking about it I figured that this could be a good opportunity for you and Goku to talk and have a chance to resolve your issues."

I snorted and he glared at me for interrupting. I stayed quiet and allowed him to continue. "I know your father can be clueless sometimes, but he needs to know what you've been through and how you feel Gohan." He sighed. "And if that means for you two to beat the holy hell out of each other today, so be it."

My eyes broadened in realization. The tournament...I had completely forgotten why I was here in the first place. To compete in the tournament, just like my father was. Yes, of course, how the hell did I miss that? I could fight my father today. I would have the liberty of proving who the superior one was, and inflict all the pain on him that he'd caused me over the years. What better way to spend a family reunion?

I crossed my arms in the same fashion as Piccolo and smirked devilishly. "Hey Piccolo, do you think it's possible to kill a dead man?"

"Gohan, this is not a game!" He stood in front of me, his face flaring with anger. "If you think you won't be able to control yourself today, I suggest you leave now."

I glared at him, he glared back. "You know what I'm capable of..." I said slowly.

"Yes, I _do_ know what you're capable of. And it seems like I'm the only one who does. But I need you to sustain yourself today around all these people." His anger subdued. "If for nothing else, for Goten's sake."

I flinched at the name, he knew that would hit a nerve. I stared up at him for a moment, then nodded. We stood in silence for a while until Piccolo finally spoke up. "We should get back to the others." He began to walk down the hallway then paused and turned his head. "Listen kid. You know I'll always be there for you. But if you do something stupid today, I don't know how much I can stand by you."

I remained still, then nodded. I knew I would have to control myself today, I was here for Goten and I was still here for Goten, but nothing could stand in my way and stop me from accomplishing another necessary task that I had to fulfill today.

I _would_ fight my father today, and I _would_ defeat him. I would humiliate him, watch him bleed and beg for mercy, show the world what a fraud their hero really was. The great Son Goku would fall at my hands. I walked beside Piccolo, smirking at these savory thoughts, not even remotely fazed by the crowd.

* * *

**:)**


	8. Similar Strangers

Goku smiled as he walked through the flock of pedestrians. He was so glad to be back on earth after all these years and gaining the opportunity to see everyone again. He couldn't believe how much everyone had changed. Krillin - his best friend - had a family, and his son was now a man. His time invested in the other world had passed by quickly, it felt like only yesterday that he was in his small nestled house in the woods with his wife and son. But his adventures in the other world had kept him busy, so he never had the chance to thoroughly consider how much time had really gone by.

He continued to roam around casually, scanning everything as if he was seeing it all for the first time, until suddenly, he came to a dead stop. He stood completely unmoving, with a dumbfounded expression on his face as the crowd persisted to stay active around him. He stared ahead at the tiny torso that had captured his attention and vastly stood out from the rest of the bunch. He watched as the adolescent spotted him as well and stopped his movement. Goku was completely flabbergasted as he focused on the features that he knew all too well. _He looks just like me_.

It was a miniature version of himself standing across from him, the same hair, the same face, the same gi. He tilted his head curiously and the younger version of himself mimicked his gesture. It was as if he was looking in some sort of whimsical carnival mirror. He slowly advanced forward until he was standing over the child. They continued to stare at each other, until Goku finally spoke. "Hi"

"Hi" The chibi returned.

Goku changed levels and dropped to a knee, he surveyed the child from head to toe, then looked into his eyes and smiled. "What's your name?"

The chibi rocked back and forth on his heals with his hands behind his back. "Goten"

_He has to be my son._ "I'm Goku."

Goten nodded. "I know. My Dad told me all about you. You're really strong."

Goku blinked. _Dad? He sure looks like me though. I guess someone had to raise him, but I wonder who. Was it Piccolo? Or maybe Vegeta? I dunno, I'd say it had to be someone like....Krillin. Yah, he has a family now so that would make sense. So Krillin must of taken care of him and Gohan, well I couldn't of picked a better person to raise my son's._

Goten stopped his movement and leaned forward. "Aren't you s'pose to be dead?"

Goku smiled and nodded. "Yah, I still am. See this thing over my head." He pointed at his halo. "That means I'm still dead. But I was allowed to come back for the day."

The chibi gazed up at the golden ring. "So, you're like an angel?"

The full blooded Saiyan chuckled. "I guess you could say that."

Goten mouth hung open as he continued to study the shiny ring floating over the man's head. "Cool."

The clan of z fighters turned the corner and came to a halt when they took in the scene before them. Gohan stiffened as his eyes rested on the two conversing family members. Everyone remained silent as they witnessed the interaction between the two siblings.

Goten peeked over the muscular man's shoulder as he noticed the other quiescent spectators. "There's my dad now!" He scurried off and Goku stood up and turned around. He watched the small boy run over and latch onto the legs of a taller form. His eyes trailed upward, and the smile on his face faded as his eyes met with the piercing dark orbs of his eldest son. Their eyes were locked in a strong everlasting hold, Goku was emphatically seized by the intensity of the lurid hardened eyes that were nearly unrecognizable to him.

"Daddy?" A low voice came from beneath the demi-saiyan. He slowly lowered his orbs and the venom instantly drained from them as he peered down at the seven year old. "Can we go fight now?"

Gohan stood stagnant for a moment, then nodded. "Remember, no energy blasts or-"

"Transforming. I know. I know."

Gohan smirked and placed a hand on the chibi's head. "I'll take you guys over there. Common Trunks." The two chibi's ran ahead and Gohan turned and gave his father one final ice cold glare before turning and trudging off.

Goku watched his son depart, then turned and walked over to Piccolo as the rest of the group began to clear out. "Goten..." He said slowly. "He's my son, isn't he?" Piccolo's eyes widened as he gazed at his former rival.

"You mean you didn't know about him?" He asked in surprise. Goku shook his head. Piccolo knitted his brows and frowned. "Come on Goku, you and I need to talk."

///

After the boys were settled in and prepared to fight in the junior division, I ventured back to join the others. As I came across the group I recognized my father amongst them, so I remained where I stood. Yes, I was avoiding my father, but can you really blame me? Keeping my distance was better then having me blow up this arena and killing everyone in it, which let's face it, could possibly happen if the circumstances were fitting. I saw Piccolo standing off on his own with his arms crossed - which he so often does - appearing as though he was pondering something relatively serious considering the scowl on his face. I walked over and stood beside him. I raised my head and observed the serene sky, which I found far more fascinating to view then a bunch of people scurrying around like rodents.

"He didn't know about Goten....did he?" Piccolo remained quiet, which I took as a confirmation. "So you're telling me that after seven years of being in the other world he never once thought oh hey, maybe I should check on my son who I selfishly abandoned and see how he's doing." I scoffed. "I can't believe mom never told him, or wait, maybe he doesn't even know she's dead either!?"

"Enough Gohan." He ordered roughly, and I laughed bitterly. "Fuck them." I looked back up to the clear pastoral sky. "Goten's better off without them anyway."

"What about you?"

"What about me" I answered in a distant voice.

I lowered my head and gave him a serious look. "Tell him to stay away from me. For everyone's sake." And I walked away without another word.

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^_^


	9. Clash Of The Youth

**Woot! New Chapter!**

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I walked to the prelims alone. A moment of independency had always been the solution to handle my flaring temper. It was shortly after I arrived that Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, Eighteen, and my father - who were also competing - had followed. I made sure to maintain a tolerable distance from my father by making sure there were a few people separating us. He didn't try to initiate any form of conversation with me, which I was grateful for, and suspected Piccolo must of spoken to him. It was a larger crowd of fighters than I was expecting that were waiting to qualify for the main match ups; not that any of them looked very intimidating. We were required to hit a punching machine which detected our power levels to determine the fifteen fighters who continued with the highest potency. The six of us had to tap the fragile device to prevent from breaking it, however Vegeta apparently didn't believe in the philosophy of holding back your power since he decided to go ape on the thing and demolish it with a flick of his wrist; luckily I was fortunate enough to have gone ahead of him.

After Vegeta left everyone silently shaking in their boots, we walked to the arena to watch Goten compete in the junior division. It was clear that the human children wouldn't be much of a challenge for him, but I thought him and Trunks would have a good scrap. We strode toward a balcony that overlooked the large ring and was reasonably secluded from the other spectators. I stopped in front of the metal railing that sealed the narrow passageway from the main stage below. My father walked by and positioned himself a few feet away to look down, Krillin stood at his side and thwarted his view from me. Vegeta and Eighteen stood near but far enough away to avoid being bothered by anyone. I assumed Bulma and the others who weren't competing were already in the stands.

Piccolo chose to station himself against the wall directly behind me. Looking to keep a close eye on me I suppose, can't say I blame him, I wasn't the most stable individual, especially when the root cause of all that's immoral in me was standing a few feet away. He could relax for now, as long as _he_ stayed away from me I'd remain civil, the enticing anticipation of getting the chance to beat him to a bloody pulp seemed to ease my hostility as well. I arched over the metal railing that was cool under my touch and peered down at the ring where the young competitors began to emerge.

.

The fights went slow, watching a bunch of runny noise kid's bash each other wasn't as appealing as it sounded, and the matches that were actually relevant were complete one sided affairs. Trunks was the first one to fight, and by his display it became obvious that him and Goten were greatly under matched. I can't say I blamed Trunks for wanting to fight in the adult division, maybe then he might of had the chance to at least break a sweat. It was three fights later that Goten was finally up.

"There's the little guy." Krillin spoke to my left. "Man Goku, he looks exactly like you did at that age."

"Yeah, he seems like a great kid. I bet he's a good fighter too." My father responded.

"Oh yeah, that skill definitely runs in the genes."

Was it wrong to feel the urge to blast someone in the face at the mere sound of their voice? Perhaps, but there was a whole hell of a lot wrong with me so I guess the thought wasn't that shocking. I'm uncertain whether it was purely his presence after such an extended period of time or all the emotions he stirred within me being here, but I was feeling nauseous. I tried to block their conversation out but I was failing miserably. Having the sharp hearing of a Saiyan wasn't always a gift.

"He can't be that much younger than Trunks, he's about seven right?"

"Mhmm"

I stretched my neck and tried to center my concentration on Goten's match. Ignoring was easier said then done. I just had to look on the positive side, at least he wasn't trying to speak to me. It didn't help though, he was still here, and I really wish he wasn't. I squeezed the round metal railing with both my hands and gritted my teeth. I just had to keep my focus on Goten, and block everything else out like I'd successfully done all these years.

"So, anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"Well, you have been gone for a long time Goku." Krillin reasoned. "Lots of stuff happened, but nothing too exciting that I haven't already told you about I guess."

I never endured such a strong feeling of disdain directed towards someone else in my entire life, I had always blamed myself for every wrong that transpired in my life, until I finally opened my eyes and realized who the guilty one really was. And what made it worse was that he was oblivious to it all, there was no way the perfect Son Goku could be responsible for any misdeed. My grip on the metal bar tightened, my energy rose just slightly as I let my useless emotions get the better of me, it wasn't enough to gather everyone's attention, but was enough to be noticed by a certain Namekian warrior behind me. He was watching me carefully, I could practically feel his eyes burning through the back of my head. I knew I had to get out of there. As Goten knocked his feeble opponent out cold, I released my hands from the firm metal bar only to see the inflexible iron indented with my hand prints from my straining hold. After Goten was declared the winner I turned and quickly retreated from the daunting area.

I had to clear my head, I had to get away from everything. I hurried down a flight of stairs and passed by the wondering public until I turned a corner and came to a remote section with few people. I pressed myself against a nearby wall and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath, and slowly released it, letting every thought and emotion flow out with the air.

"Hey" A cheery voice said.

I opened my eyes to see a tiny dark haired girl looking at me. She was wearing a baggy white shirt and had black gloves on. I recognized her from the prelims earlier.

"Hey" I responded.

"You're in the tournament right?" she asked.

"Uh, yup" I said, still leaning against the wall.

She crossed her arms and took a step closer. "I haven't seen you around before."

"I-I'm not from here." I replied dubiously.

"Well yeah, I figured that much." I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I just nodded. "Oh, that was rude of me, I'm Videl."

"Gohan" I said. As I looked at her, I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew her from somewhere.

"So, how long have you been doing martial arts Gohan?"

"Since I was a kid." I didn't exactly know how this exchange came about, but it seemed to distract me from why I was out here in the first place, so I persisted to stand there.

"Me too. People think I do it because of who my father is, but I do it because I like it, you know?"

I nodded, I knew how it felt to live in your fathers shadow. "Who's your father?"

She looked at me as if I was crazy. "You...don't know?"

"Uh, no..." How the hell should I know who her father was?

"Hercule Satan."

I nearly choked on my breath as I stared at her. Wait...that's where I had seen her before, on television. Shockingly, I started laughing, I couldn't help myself.

She raised an eyebrow. "And what's so funny about that?"

"And I thought I had it bad." I said in amusement.

She glared at me. "What's that suppose to mean?"

I could tell she was getting angry, and the last thing I wanted to deal with was a fuming female. So I decided to steer the conversation in another direction. "So, you're in the tournament too...?"

She stared at me, and probably would of continued have it not been for someone calling her name from behind making her turn her head. She faced me again and eyed me almost suspiciously. "Yeah....I gotta go. I guess I'll see you at the fight picks. " She shrugged. "Maybe we'll get to fight each other." She turned and walked away, and I continued to stand there motionless, until I remembered that Goten was still fighting and I didn't want to miss his big match.

As I paced back, I had to admit, that little conversation seemed to clear my head enough to certify myself to return back to where my father was. I really did pity that girl, she probably thought her father was the greatest man who ever lived, who saved the world from utter destruction, when in reality he was just a giant phony. I could confidently say that I would rather my father be dead than to be Mr. Satan. Even I had to confess that Goku really was a hero.

As I returned back I cast a glance at Piccolo who hadn't moved a muscle from his position. He studied me intently as I approached, and I just nodded to him, letting him know that I was fine. After a couple more less than stellar fights, it came to the final match up between Goten and Trunks.

"This is going to be a good one." Krillin predicted.

"Yeah" Goku agreed. "I wonder who'll win."

"Trunks of course." Vegeta said confidently from behind. I turned my head and snorted at him. "We'll see."

He smirked. "Yes we will."

"Let's go guys!" Krillin yelled. "Show this crowd a real fight!"

I watched closely as the match began, it was easy to see they were evenly matched, and that it was going to be a competitive contest. Both of them managed to get a few good shots in, but were successfully blocking one another's most lethal attacks. As the fight began to heat up, Goten was getting the better of Trunks so the older demi-saiyan chose to use an energy blast to divert his opponent.

"Dammit Trunks, I said no energy blasts." I muttered and shook my head. Now they were flying in the air as well, great, so much for staying veiled. Nothing weird about two kids flying around throwing energy blasts at all. I couldn't say I was really that upset, considering how highly entertaining the fight was.

It looked as though Trunks had said something that angered Goten, and the younger fighter transformed into a Super Saiyan. I winced a bit, if those two couldn't follow the simply instructions who knows what Vegeta might do today to restrain from defeat.

My father gaped. "H-he's a S-s-super Saiyan."

Krillin scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah....I guess I forgot to mention that to you."

"B-but, he's so young. He's younger then Gohan was."

Trunks chose to transform at that point to, yeah, no sense in holding back now.

"They're both Super Saiyans!? How!?"

"They were lucky that you were dead." He turned his head and looked at me, but didn't say anything. I just kept my eyes on the fight that was now only visible to our six pair of eyes with the vast increase in velocity and intensity.

They changed back to normal, and dropped down to the ring, looking like they agreed not to transform or use any blasts from now on. They battled immensely for a few more minutes, until Trunks suddenly threw a curve ball at Goten as he disappeared and materialized behind him, striking him with a hard blow to the back of the head that caught the younger fighter off guard and sent him flying to the other end of the ring. He tried his best to stop himself from falling over the edge but failed as his foot touched the grass bordering the permitted grounds.

"Awww....he lost." Goku said gloomily.

"That was a great fight guys!" Krillin shouted down below.

Damn, he was doing good too. I always noticed his problem with lacking constant awareness of every move his opponent made, and it cost him this match. It's something we'll have to work on in the future.

Vegeta chuckled behind me. "I told you that you weren't training the boy hard enough. But don't be too hard on yourself. Trunks is after all, my son."

"He was doing fine." I retorted. "Trunks just caught him with a lucky shot."

"There are no lucky shots in battle." He crossed his arms and lifted his chin as he began to walk away.

"I'll keep that in mind when I'm fighting you." He didn't acknowledge my words but I knew he heard me, he was just gloating.

"Those two sure are competitive." My father whispered beside me.

"Yeah." Krillin said. "I hope I don't have to fight either of them today. Knowing my luck I'll probably be matched against one of you Saiyan's in the first round." He sighed "Well, we better get going guys."

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**Review :)**


	10. Unwanted Revelations

A/N: I know what you're thinking, its been a while...right? Yeah sorry about that, but better late then never I guess.

So I have the rest of the story pretty much mapped out so I'm going to try and keep it rollin'. Hope you like this chap. ^_^

* * *

There was a brief intermission before the adult division matches had to be chosen. I found Trunks and Goten off to the side of the stirring crowd and approached them. I placed a hand on Goten's head and greeted them both with a warm smile.

"Hey, you guys were great out there." I didn't bother scolding them about turning Super Saiyan considering the level of entertainment their performance offered the crowd from the previous lack luster fights. Goten stood with his shoulders slumped and his head hanging low, idly kicking a rock. He mumbled something that I failed to catch so I knelt down in front of him. "What's up little man?"

"I'm sorry I didn't win" He murmured sadly, still not looking at me.

I sighed heavily. "Goten. I told you not to worry about whether you won or not. Trunks is older then you so, it's only natural for him to be a bit stronger. Besides-" I lifted his chin and smiled. "that was one heck of a high kick you caught him with."

He simpered. "Yeah, he hit the ground really hard and made a big hole."

I nodded. "It was a great fight, so don't beat yourself up over it. I'm proud of you."

He smiled, accepting my words of comfort. "Thanks dad." He jumped up and pulled me into a hug. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him lightly, satisfied that I was able to unburden him of his worries. I released him and slowly stood up. "So, are you going to be cheering for me?"

He grinned. "You bet!"

I ruffled his hair and stepped over to where Trunks stood wearing a disinterested sneer on his face, I never saw him look so much like his father as I did at that moment. "Hey" I said, seizing his attention and making him look up. "You were impressive out there." I knew I shouldn't be the one praising his performance, even though I trained him and watched him progress over the years; he had a father who he so desperately wanted to impress and have those words spoken to him from that man. But we all knew that Vegeta wouldn't be coming over anytime soon to congratulate him.

His expression subdued and he managed a half-hearted smile. "Thanks Gohan."

I was glad to see him not dismiss my positive recognition, maybe my opinion held more value to him that I had thought. "You guys should probably go find the others before the fights start. I think I saw your mom over by the food court."

Their eyes broadened at the word 'food'. "Okay!" They yelled in unison and were off in a flash.

As I watched them vanish out of sight, my face instantly dropped into a scowl. I could feel his eyes crawling on my skin, I knew he was watching the entire time, he was far too intrusive for his own good. I took a rigid breath then quickly turned around to meet his gaze. My eyes narrowed, he had that stupid moronic smile plastered on his face, I resisted the burning desire to lift my palm and blast that annoying expression to oblivion. I knew the fire was blazing in my eyes that would make the average person scamper in fear, but he chose to advance forward, stimulating my scowl to deepen.

"You're great with him." My father stated softly, and I just continued to glared at him with no intention of responding.

"Listen-" He started, but I refused to let him say another word as I turned and walked off in the opposite direction. I was having none of it; I wasn't interested in any father and son bonding time today, or anything he had to say to me for that matter. "Gohan" He called from behind, but I proceeded to pace, allowing my mind to be captured in the chamber of unemotional hollowness.

/

The two chibi's patted their pleasantly filled stomachs, it took a lot of food to satisfy their Saiyan appetites, but now they felt content after the massive meal they had just walked away from.

"Come on." The lavender haired chibi directed, jerking his head for his friend to follow.

"Where are we going?" The raven haired demi-saiyan asked as he trailed behind.

"It's time for us to be in some real fights." Trunks claimed deviously.

Goten looked ahead confused. "What do you mean? We just finished fighting."

Trunks ignored his friend as he zig zagged through the zealous area, his speed and size kept him well hidden and refrained him from raising any suspicion. He stopped, surveying the area until he spotted his target and quickly ran ahead, leaving his younger companion standing mystified. "Trunks wait for me!" He whined as he bustled to catch up.

"Shh!" Trunks hissed as he arrived outside of the correct room, at least he assumed it was the correct room. He prompted a quick energy scan and felt the familiar ki of his father along with a few other high signals inside to instantly clarify his doubts. Goten came up beside him, and they stood with their backs pressed against the white cemented wall. Trunks side stepped to the doorway that led into the location he ambitioned for, until his right hand rested on the wall just outside of the entranceway. He stepped forward and was determined to make a quick entry into the room without being noticed, but froze mid step just in time to stop himself from bumping into the blur that stood in the doorway. He looked down at the pair of shoes that blocked his path, and his eyes trailed upward, looking over the thin figure until they rose and met the curious gaze of a short dark haired female.

Trunks smiled sheepishly. "Hi"

The brunette put her hands on her hips and arched a brow. "What are you doing here?"

Trunks hesitated, he averted his gaze as he searched for an appropriate excuse. When he finally looked back up at her he slightly tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "Hey, aren't you Mr. Satan's daughter?"

Her face reddened. "Yes" She mumbled. "Now how about you answer my question, what are you two doing in here?"

Goten looked over to his friend nervously, shuffling his feet. Trunks scratched the back of his head and aimed his focus upward to the sky above. "We... uh, we -" He blinked as a sudden notion came to mind and lowered his chin to look at the famous female. "Our Dad's are in the tournament, and we're here to watch them fight." He nodded affirmingly.

Videl scanned over the chibi, examining the young boy's appearance, then quirked her gaze to his timid spiky haired companion. After a moment of sizing the two up, she finally responded. "Sorry guys, but this room's for the fighters. You'll have to just watch your dad's from the stands like everyone else."

Goten pouted, but Trunks didn't seem fazed as he grabbed his friends arm. "Okay, lets go Goten." He dragged his friend away and came to a stop on the other side of the building. "Alright, I've got a new plan."

"What?" Goten asked innocently.

"I know how to get us in the tournament. Follow me." Trunks snuck off, not waiting for his friend's input.

"But she said we weren't allowed in there!"

"So?"

"Trunks! We're gonna get in trouble!"

"Just common!"

/

It was a small plain room just outside of the fighting ring that was the waiting area for the fighters. All the qualifiers were arriving, my father entered the premises and cast a quick glance in my direction before passing by without saying a word. He stationed himself on the other side of the room beside the ring entrance. Even though he made the choice not to stand near me, he continued to sneak glances at me, thinking I hadn't noticed his swivel looks. It was painfully obvious he wanted to say something to me, or figure out what was troubling me. Sadly, he wouldn't be receiving any explanation from me, if he was too narrow minded to grasp the issue then that wasn't my problem.

I'm surprised he actually observed that there was even an issue with me in the first place, maybe Piccolo had to point it out to him, but it didn't take a genius to see that he himself was the issue. There wasn't going to be any resolution to this situation like Piccolo had hoped for, I knew this for a fact. He would be here for the day, I would have the chance to fight him, and then he would be gone tomorrow. A concept I adapted and accepted since I was a child. He was suppose to be the good guy between himself and Vegeta, but as least Vegeta had the decency to stick around for his son.

I scanned over the quarantine room, sizing up the other fighters. I nearly yawned at the sight of them, I could only hope they offered more then Goten and Trunks opponents did, but it was highly unlikely. My father and Vegeta were the only opposition that I had a keen interest in, sure a match with one of the other z fighters like Piccolo would be valid, but I had a competitive edge today that only a Saiyan could satisfy.

As my eyes circled the mustered room they landed on a figure that stood partially in the shadows that forced my moving gaze to come to a halt. His features weren't completely visible as he was hidden by the darkened shade in the corner of the room and those positioned in front of him, but it was undeniable that he decisively differentiated from every other being here.

The feature that stood out most was his haunting yellow eyes, glowing as they lurked around the room as if searching for something or someone in particular. His figure was tall with broad shoulders, his skin a tainted red, I couldn't see his silhouette clearly but his face was long with vast sharp ears framing it; he appeared to be a demon of some sort. I could make out a weird symbol embedded on his forehead that looked like an M, a marking I had never seen before. He was visibly not from this planet, that was for certain, and his appearance seemed to indicate that he was more likely an adversary than an ally. I turned to the tall green warrior standing at my side and noticed he too was inspecting the unidentified stranger skeptically. He must of felt the same afflicting suspicion as myself at the sight of the others presence.

I took a step closer to Piccolo. "Do you know him?" I questioned in a low voice, making sure I wasn't overheard.

"No" He responded, not extracting his eyes from the stranger. "But there's something not right about him. We need to keep an eye on him."

I looked back over at the mysterious stranger and saw his phantom eyes focused intently on my father, his hostile demeanor transmitted a chilling vibe, and I had to agree with Piccolo, he appeared to have some significant purpose in being here, and it wasn't a mirthful one.

The announcer loudly declared it time to choose the fight match ups, which we were to determine by selecting numbers. There really was only one sole person I itched to fight, and I would at some point, regardless of number selections or tournament rules.

Krillin was the first one to draw a number, which was two. He didn't appear too thrilled about being in the first match as he grumpily walked off with his hands in his pockets.

My father was next and swiftly drew his number and showed it to the officials, the announcer declared him number ten. He shrugged and returned to where he stood amongst the other fighters.

A few insignificant fighters picked their numbers, then it was Vegeta's turn. He drew the numbered orb from the bag and stared down at it for a moment, then slowly turned around and had a smug smirk on his face as he extended his arm and displayed his number. Nine. I turned to the board that listed the match ups to confirm my suspicion. The fourth match written on the board made me cringe and forced me to clench my fists at my sides.

Vegeta would be facing my father in the first round.

"Dammit" I hissed. Vegeta was the only other dangerous opposition to my father, and the only other person beside myself that held any chance of defeating him. He was given the match that both of us were fiercely gunning for. I didn't know what level of training my father received in the other world over the past seven years, but I knew what Vegeta's steady routine was, and I knew he had a fairly good chance at defeating Goku. And I also knew that this meant I would have the opportunity to fight only one of the two full blooded Saiyan's today.

I decided not to stress on it because I knew regardless of what happened in that fight or any other fight today that I would still be fighting my father. Tournament or no tournament.

/

The two disguised chibi's stood against the wall at the end of the small compressed room trying their best to blend in with the other competitors. The two youngster discovered their opportunity to get into the tournament after knocking out and stealing the costume of a mediocre masked fighter. The brilliant plan was whirled up by the clever lavender haired chibi. And here they were, attempting to look casual in the ridiculous outfit that looked even more absurd with their slim and tiny limbs supporting it.

"Ha! Gohan sad a bad word!"

"Be quiet Trunks."

"Chill out Goten, my parent's do it all the time. It's just funny, I never heard him do it before." Trunks assured.

"Whatever." The younger chibi mumbled to his friend who was propped up on his shoulders. He didn't know why he had to be the one bottom.

"Hey look, our dad's are fighting each other. Cool."

"He's not my dad!" Goten exclaimed.

"Is too! Besides, my dad told me he was, and my dad doesn't lie!"

"Shut up!" The younger chibi yelled and attempted to tackle his friend on his shoulder, causing them to waver in their garment and stumble down the stairs beside them and hit the ground with a thud. The older of the two scrambled to get to his feet as the younger blindingly attacked him in his anger.

"Goten Stop!... S-somone's going to see us!" Trunks demanded in a hushed voice.

"I don't care. Take it back!"

"But it's the truth!"

"No it's not!" Goten denied vulgarly as he wrestled his friend around the grass. There was no one currently around to notice the two as everyone fled to their seats to witness the fight selections.

"Will you stop being such a baby!"

"I already have a dad!"

"Yeah, but he's not your _real_ dad"

Goten stopped his onslaught on his friend, he stood up, his lower lip quivering. "H-he's not?"

Trunks shook his head. "No. That dead guy over there." Trunks pointed towards Goku. "He's your real dad. See how he looks just like you?"

Goten agreed with his friends logic, he knew his friend was smart, but that didn't mean he had to like what he was told. And with that said the seven year old tightened his fists at his sides then spun around and bolted away.

/

I stood, arms crossed, waiting as patiently as I could manage for the matches to be made so I could get the tedious ordeals over with, and inherit the fight that I really yearned for. I took notice of an oncoming object in the corner of my eye and turned my head to the side just in time to see a dark ball racing toward me. I lowered my head to see the distressed face of Goten looking up at me; his eyes held an almost pleading gleam in them as he looked as though he was on the verge of tears. The sight caused me to be instantly overcome with a sense of anger more so then concern, an outraged resentment at whoever put him in this state.

I frowned as I questioned him. "Goten, what's wrong?"

His lower lip quivered as he peered up at me with glossy eyes, he couldn't withhold his bleakness any longer and he burst into tears. "You're not my real Dad!"

The room became quiet as every set of eyes turned to us. I clamped my eyes shut and furrowed my brows as I felt an unwelcoming headache starting to form. I sighed, and pinched the bridge of my nose. Yes, the gods had decided it was time to torment me once again, and they weren't holding back.

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Oh snap! A cliffhanger. My first one too! lol. What did you think? Review! :)


	11. Enemy Eyes

A/N: I'm still here! I know it's been abnormally long since I updated, but I haven't abandoned this story. I just sort of went on hiatus for the summer, and then things have been crazy with school and I've been sick on top of that, but I managed to get this chapter finished for you guys.

To make up for making you all wait so long, I give you a nice long chapter.

Enjoy :)

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It was turning out to be one of those days where you _really_ wish you wouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning. It was at that precise moment that the empty void inside of me filled with hatred; I hated the look on Goten's face, I hated that every pair of eyes in the room were centered on us, I hated life itself and whatever external force was responsible for this endless torture laid upon me.

There always had to be some kind of chaotic event in my life, it didn't matter what I did or where I went, I couldn't run from it because it was simply a part of who I am. I would always be a pathetic puppet being dangled on the strings that someone else controlled.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to rid myself of such thoughts of self pity. There was more at stake here then me, and the anguish laced in Goten's voice as he spoke those dreadful words was more than enough proof of that.

It took me a moment to settle the sudden spiral of emotions that flooded through me. And when I felt I gained a firm control over my internal havoc, I opened my eyes and made myself return to the soulless shell of man that I'd become, and looked down at the tear filled eyes that held such sadness and fear that I had to restrain myself from flinching.

I swallowed hard, then bent down and picked up the small boy by this waist. I gathered him in my arms and stayed silent as I stood upright, and without looking at anyone I advanced out of the room. I had to get the hell out of there and away from all those prying eyes on us. If they all thought they were going to get a show, they had sadly mistaken.

I didn't know exactly where I was going when I left the tournament arena, but I firmly trekked away from the compact region with the distraught chibi held securely to my chest.

Once we were a fair distance away on the outskirts of the arena in a sand invested domain, I finally found myself stopping, feeling content with the remote area.

It was quiet, in a relaxing way; there was no life beyond us within a one mile radius. The only sounds being the whistling of the faint breeze and Goten's muffled sniffles against my chest.

I loosened the grip I had on him and set him down on a rock. I took a step back and looked down at him with concern, but he chose to keep his head lowered, refusing to look at me.

I sighed; brushing the creases out of the front of my navy gi, then turned my back to him and tilted my head upward to the sky. It had darkened significantly since when we first arrived, the thick gray clouds blocked the sun from allowing its rays to shine down on the earth's surface, and the once light blue sky had transferred to a lifeless somber color. It reflected my current mood well.

I peered up blankly as I pondered on how I was suppose to approach this situation. I tried to explain all of this to Goten once before, I really did, but... he just didn't seem to get it. It was a year ago when he had finally asked about his mother, and so I sat him down and tried to choose my words wisely as I reluctantly shed light on the past.

He understood that ChiChi had passed away shortly after his birth, but when it came to Goku, well... that's when things got tricky. Trying to clarify to a six year old that his father was actually his brother, both of his parents were dead, and his real father was actually an alien from another planet was _not_ an easy task.

I had to ignore the foul taste that the subject brought to my mouth, and spoke to him about the world's greatest hero, Son Goku. But even after doing so, I think Goten still thought of the man as more of an elder relative then a father. It was like he wouldn't even consider, let alone grasp the concept of anyone other than myself being his father. And I remember being fed up with the matter of trying to explain such a bizarre situation to a young demi-saiyan with a short attention span, so I concluded it was too early to have the conversation then, and decided it would be easier to simply wait until he was older.

At the time it seemed like a good idea, but now I realize I had made a mistake. If I had put in a little more effort to get everything out in the open a year ago, I wouldn't be stuck in the dire position that I am now.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to figure out how I was going to go about this. You could only avoid the inevitable for so long, and Goten deserved to know the truth. It was never my intention to keep it from him in the first place, it was merely a choice on my part to keep him in the dark for the time being, a choice that I was paying for now.

I turned around and lowered my gaze to the chibi who sat slouched over on the large bolder, his legs dangling a few inches off the ground. I couldn't see past his dark spikes as he focused on the ground, but from the way he kept bringing his hands up to wipe his eyes told me he was still crying. A knot always formed in my gut when I saw him this way, his happiness and well being were at the top of my list of priorities, and seeing him in this state made me feel like a failure.

I took a step toward him, and he didn't budge, I took another step closer until I was standing over him, casting a shadow over his small figure. But he still didn't move.

"Goten." My voice pierced through the enduring silence, but I once again received no sign of response. "Goten." I repeated more firmly. "Look at me."

The hands on his knees fidgeted with the fabric of his gi, and after another moment he finally lifted his head and gave me a clear view of his tear streaked face. He sniffled as his puffy red eyes shined with sorrow into my own, while I stood there feeling like I'd just been punched in the gut.

How the hell was I going to do this? I tossed the subject aside a year ago because I thought it would benefit him, but all I managed to do was worsen things and hurt him in a way I never intended to.

I sat down beside him, wrapping an arm around his small torso and took a moment to clear my mind. I decided it would be best to take a subtle approach to such a sensitive subject, I learned from experience over the years of teaching Goten that the most effective way to get a point across was to compare a new concept to one he was already familiar with, and figured it would be the best route to go in this case as well.

It took me a moment to find a suitable subject that I thought would work, and when I did I finally spoke. "Do you remember that story I use to read to you, the one about the dinosaur. Remember how he had no one to look after him when he was just a baby, and then the human's found him, and they decided to take him in and raise him?" I watched him closely as he recalled the story I spoke of, and then gave a tentative nod.

I leaned down closer to him so I could see his face as I continued. "You see Goten, he lost his parents when he was very young, and he needed someone to look after him. Even though the human's weren't his real parents, they took him in and treated him as if he were their son. They became his parents, and they loved him. Do you... understand what I'm saying?" Dende I was awful at this, I just compared him to some fairytale dinosaur from a storybook.

He bit his lip, then turned his head to face me, his expression still one of sorrow. "S-so then... you really aren't my real dad?"

I felt a twinge in my chest, there wasn't much I could say to that. "I'm still your dad Goten. I'm just not... your biological father."

"But I want you to be my dad!" He cried.

I placed my hand on his back. "Goten, I am and always will be your dad. But Goku, he's...your biological father." I explained remorsefully."He's a full blooded saiyan, and you and I, we're half saiyans. That means we have the exact same blood running through our veins, so in a way that sorta makes us even closer, wouldn't you say?" I tried my best to lighten the mood, but I knew this was tough for him to take in.

He turned away and focused on the ground once again. I rubbed circles on his back with my hand and watched him intently as his young mind absorbed this overwhelming information.

I waited patiently for him to speak, and when he did, his small voice came out just above a whisper.

"You're not gonna make me leave, are ya?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

His large dark orbs turned to face me once again. "You're not gonna make me go and live with someone else, 'cause I don't wanna!" The sudden shine that appeared in his eyes told me he was on the verge of tears again.

I blinked again slowly; out of all the responses I imagined him to come up with at a time like this, this was definitely not one of them.

"I -" I furrowed my brows and shook my head slightly. "What are you talking about?"

He lowered his eyes and muttered, "I thought you didn`t want me anymore."

"Why would you think that?" I asked in bewilderment.

He shifted his feet. ``I dunno...``

``Goten, you`re not going anywhere, and neither am I, alright?" Why on earth he would even think that in the first place is beyond me, but I couldn't help but feel there was more to what he said then he was letting on. ``I love you and I`ll always be here for you. Remember that. ``

He hesitantly lifted his eyes to mine. "Promise?"

I gave him a soft smile. "I promise." He nodded, then hastily wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face into my chest.

I felt his soft heartbeat drumming rhythmically with my own as I held him close to me, and a sudden rush of memories flashed through my mind. I was back to the day I sat in that darkened cave with the small fragile infant held bundled closely to my chest as I made promises of protection, then I was holding the two year old in my panicked state as I snatched him from the lake he had fallen into, then I was carrying the small sleeping body that had fallen asleep at the kitchen table to the comfort of his bed.

He was my reason to live when all hope was lost; I was his protector. He was the lone star that lit up the darkness in the night of my life, the single thing that could make my lips curve upward willingly into a smile. How could he think I would ever let him go? I wouldn't leave him if my life depended on it. I needed him just as much as he needed me.

I slowly untangled him from my embrace and was relieved to see the eyes once shining with tears now shimmering with happiness. "Let's get going." I said. "You don't me to miss my spot in the tournament, do you?"

He smiled and took the hand I offered him as we stood up and headed back.

Once we made it back to the arena, a few eyes darted our way as we re-entered the waiting room, specifically Piccolo's and my father's. No one said anything, but the sudden change in Goten's mood was enough of an answer to their unspoken question. Goten left my side to join Trunks who was on the other side of the room.

I was glad to see I hadn't missed much since stepping out, it felt like I was gone for a lot longer, but the names filled in on the board that listed the matches told me otherwise. Most of the fighters had chosen their numbers, but a few spots still remained. It seemed I had timed my return perfectly, because as I was scanning over the brackets on the board I heard my name being called by the announcer's broad voice as the next fighter to draw a number.

I kept my expression neutral as I walked up and placed my hand into the bag to pull out the first number my fingers landed on. I turned the green orb in my hands until I saw the number on it, then showed it to the announcer. "And Gohan will be number five."

As I walked back to the waiting room, I glanced at the board to see the sixth spot already occupied. I squinted my eyes to read the name, and I couldn't stop my eyebrows from slightly rising as I identified who it was.

It looked like I would be fighting Eighteen.

I couldn't say I was disappointed, since the two other saiyan's were facing off; she was the next best opposition here.

"And up next is - Dabura."

There wasn't any movement amongst the fighters at first, but then at the end of the room a large figure stepped forward, who I immediately recognized as the one I had eyed suspiciously early. Only now he stood out in the open, giving me a clear view of his appearance. He wore a solid blue attire that was opened in the front and gave a clear view of his florid muscular chest, and had a vivid white cape bristling behind him as he stepped forward to choose a number.

"Dabura will be number - nine."

I looked at the board and saw the name Videl written in the bracket next to his, and I instantly put a face to the name after having met her earlier. I turned and scanned the room until they landed on the petite dark haired female. She stood with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, not appearing even remotely intimidated by her opponent. But I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe she should be.

I looked back to the strange demon who stood in his previous position in the corner of the room, and my eyes moved to the person standing next to him. He was much shorter, and was wearing thick white armor over dark blue spandex.

I was surprised I was only noticing him now, especially how odd his appearance was and the eerie yellow eyes he had. But that wasn't what caught my attention at the first glance I got of him, no... It was the unusual symbolic marking on his forehead, identical to the one that the demon beside him possessed.

Although the two looked nothing alike, they both wore the same sly smirk on their faces, one that suggested they knew something we didn't.

Something wasn't right here, I've been involved in enough detrimental battles to know when I'm looking the enemy in the eye, and this was one of those times.

Something was off about this day from the very being, with my father's sudden return and now these two mysterious beings in the tournament. I had a strong foreboding feeling, one that I forced myself to shake off as I turned my back to the two of them. Nothing extreme happened yet, so all I could hope for was it stayed that way.

When all the matches were finally chosen and it was time for the fights to begin, Krillin was the first one up. He was facing a large overly sized human that likely outweighed him by over two hundred pounds.

But size wasn't a factor as Krillin easily handled the massive man. Even if Krillin was never a strong force within our elite group of fighters, he still ranked as one of the best amongst the humans.

The next fight was a bout between Pui Pui and Jewel. I grew disinterested quickly as the names weren't known to me, but that soon changed when the shorter being next to Dabura had stepped forward and entered the ring. As I recalled the names of the two in the match, I concluded that he must be Pui Pui, a strange name for a strange creature. Although he and Dabura could very well be using aliases, much like Piccolo was.

He was still smirking, but now it was in a more malicious fashion as he stared across the ring at his blonde haired opponent. And when the confident blonde rushed forward, Pui Pui chuckled and slowly raised his arm, and with a swift turn of his wrist he sent the man flying through the air until he crashed into the wall outside the arena.

"Pathetic species." I heard him mutter with a snort as he walked out of the ring.

The feeling of uneasiness rose inside of me as he walked pass me and I watch the two stranger's smirk at one another with a venomous satisfaction at the human's disposal.

Pui Pui didn't appear strong at all, to me he merely resembled one of Frieza's henchmen, not someone who posed any form of threat to us saiyan's, and his power level was moderate at best. But there was a dark energy that surrounded the pair, and I knew that there was more to the two beyond what I was seeing right now.

Dabura's eyes were focused on my father again, like he seeing something in the man that no one else in the room could. Did he know who Goku really was? Did their purpose here have something to do with him? But how would they know he'd be here... I didn't even know he was going to be here today.

My questions remained unanswered as I became aware that it was now my turn to fight.

When our names were called, I saw Eighteen pass by with a confident stride as she headed for the ring.

"She's a tough one Gohan," my father's voice came from behind, "I wouldn't take her lightly."

I rolled my eyes inwardly. What did he think I was, an idiot? She was only one of the androids that threatened all our lives seven years ago, and apparently killed me in Mirai Trunks' timeline.

"But ya know, you don't have to go too hard on her either." Krillin sheepishly added.

I stood there for a moment, but decided not to say anything as I walked out of the room. Once I reached the edge of the large ring, I paused with my foot mid air when a voice called from behind. "Good luck Daddy!"

I looked over my shoulder to the raven haired chibi who now stood in front of Piccolo waving his hands enthusiastically with a grin on his face. I gave the smile that I only preserved for him, and then my eyes looked past him to Krillin who was holding his young daughter in his arms. The chibi with golden locks identical to her mothers had a look of fear on her face as she clutched to her father.

My first thought was what the hell were all the chibi's doing in the fighter's room? Trunks and Goten must of snuck in, and Marron must of wanted to be with her father, but with a room full of edgy fighters and those two possibly dangerous strangers made me feel like it wasn't the safest place for them to be.

My thoughts then turned to Eighteen. When I became aware that I was fighting her, her new course in life as being a mother and wife never even crossed my mind. When I heard her name, my mind immediately drifted back to being the eleven old who trained vigorously for the evil androids that Trunks had warned us about. But she had drastically changed since then, just like I had.

I turned back to view the blonde who stood waiting, and I stepped into the ring to stand across from her. Her eyes locked with mine, and I could see a glint in them that every real fighter possessed before engaging in battle, one that suggested her true determination, and that this wasn't just some game on her part, she was fighting for a purpose.

I'll admit, I was somewhat curious to see how my skills staked up against her's after all these years. This was feeling like more of a personal test for me to see just how much my fighting craft had improved with my training. It's not as if I didn't view her as a threatening opponent, I just had a different objective in mind now than facing an android who had settled down and whose ambitions had steered away from fighting.

Her azure eyes narrowed as she shifted into her fighting stance. I remained where I stood, candidly tightening the red belt around my waist. She wasn't much for words, and neither was I, so when the match began, I didn't bother to make a move, content in allowing her to come to me.

I knew her endurance was impeccable, so I didn't see the point in wasting any unnecessary energy. And she didn't disappoint as she immediately came forward with objective beaming in her eyes, and quickly closed the distance between us as she drew back her fist and released it without hesitation at my head.

I anticipated her attack before she even made a move, and with a swift shift of my head to the side, her punch was easily averted. She didn't waste any time in following up with a kick and a two punch combo, all of which I dodged with the same virtuous ease.

She took a step back after that, taking a good look at my face as she attempted to read me, but I made sure to keep my expression blank. She scowled; pushing a blond strand of hair out of her eyes, then huffed and rushed forward once again.

This time I decided to set forth my own offense by countering her attacks. It was a feeling out process at first, as we moderately exchanged strikes to get an accurate reading of one another's timing and power. She packed a heavy punch, one that I didn't want to be at the receiving end of right now, so I stayed on guard.

I took the initiative of picking up the pace, and she smoothly kept up with me as both of us landed a few decent shots here and there, but most were blocked by our sharp reflexes. She snuck in a nice clean kick to my jaw, and since I still hadn't raised my power level, the hit carried a little more sting behind it then I would have liked.

This time it was my turn to take a step back. I tightened my fists in front of me and raised my ki, heightening my energy to the highest and most effective level I could master without changing to a Super Saiyan. She followed my league and powered up as well, and we both stood in the center of the ring, bound in the energy that blazed around us.

The surrounding spectators watched as the two of us clashed once again in the heat of battle. Somewhere in the midst of our turbulent contest, we ended up in the air, pressuring one another with a relentless assault.

She was managing to match my aggression soundly. I knew if I transformed I would have a distinct advantage, but I was reluctant to do so. Instead, I chose to alter my attacks and tried to elevate my speed as much as I could. And I watched in satisfaction as her movements became sloppier in her effort to keep up.

She raised her arm just in time to block my arm from reigning down a devastating blow on her. We stopped as our forearms pressed against one another, looking each other dead in the eye in our close proximity.

It was strange to think that only a few years prior she was a crucial threat to the planet, and could of terminated me even as a Super Saiyan. I'd give her the benefit of the doubt though, she was likely a bit rusty, and could still defeat me now if I maintained this power level.

It was lightening quick, one second our arms were locked in a stalemate as the pressure we exerted was even, and the next she held a ki blast in the palm of her hand mere inches from my face. I never even had time to blink before she launched the attack, and it was only an act of instinct when my arm had risen in time to block the blast from hitting its target. I deflected the orb of energy, sending it outside of the arena and far enough away to avoid causing any harm to the crowd.

It was a dirty move, and although it was nothing I hadn't seen before, it still pissed me off. I was a little surprised to see Eighteen look equally as pissed as I felt at that moment. She must have thought that I wasn't fighting to my fullest potential, and that was her way of letting me know that she was having none of it.

Alright, if that's what she wanted then so be it. I clenched my teeth as I inwardly scolded myself for having to do this, but I knew I had no choice. I moderately loosened the restraint I held on my energy, and allowed myself to transform into a Super Saiyan. I could see the glow of gold in the reflection of her eyes, and even though I was only at the first stage of transformation, the sudden rise in power that surged through me was intoxicating.

I dropped back down to the hard tiled floor of the ring and she followed close behind. This time I wasn't going to contently sit back and wait for her to make a move. The instant her feet had touched the ground, I materialized inches in front of her, taking her by surprise and throwing a punch to her midsection.

It was a hard shot, harder than I anticipated, and the cracking sound I heard as my fist connected along with the pained cry she made was enough to tell me that. Taking her off guard the way I did only made the attack that much more devastating.

The impact had pushed her backwards, and her arms had instantly lowered to clutch her stomach. My first assumption was a broken rib, but then I remembered she was an android so it could have been some other internal object that a normal body didn't carry. Either way, I knew the punch had caused damage to something vital.

I concluded that now would be the best time to put an end to this before either one of us received any more injuries. The last thing I needed was to face my father at anything less than one hundred percent. So I decided to attack her in her weakened state and materialized next to her, delivering a knee to her already damaged midsection, but purposely landing it with subdue force and a fraction away from where my fist had hit moments ago.

She doubled over, and I delivered a hammer fist with enough force to propel her off her feet and flying to the other side of the ring before being halted by the cemented wall that surrounded the ring.

The crowd became dead silent as the smacking sound of the impact reverberated throughout the arena. I took in a much needed breath, and stood firmly with my eyes resting on the cloud of dust that was formed by the collision.

I lowered my ki, allowing my energy to return to its normal level. I was relieved when the particles of dust had settled and Eighteen was standing upright, brushing the dirt off her clothing. The crowd then erupted into cheers and the announcer declared me the winner.

I kept my eyes on Eighteen, watching her sweep the last bit of dust off her clothing, while she tried to hide her grimace as she took in a ragged breath. When she lifted her head her eyes immediately locked with mine.

She managed to keep her expression unreadable as she stared at me. And after a few unmoving seconds she gave a slight nod, then turned and walked away.

I knew this loss would be hard for her to accept, even if she masked it well. I've learned from the numerous fights of my own that there is a sense of honour you gain as a fighter, and when you become aware of your own capabilities without letting your ego get the best of you, there's always a sense of disappointment yet impressiveness that you get when someone else exceeds your own abilities.

It was the same conflicting feeling I experienced often when I trained with my father and Piccolo for the androids. I always had an overwhelming sense of frustration when they would beat me in training, yet there was always a sentiment of envy I felt deep inside. And watching someone surpass your own expertise always makes you strive to improve your own skills. I had experienced that feeling for a very long time, and today was my opportunity to find out where exactly I stood.

Eighteen's own purpose on the other hand had taken a turn in the opposite direction, her priorities no longer centered on fighting, and I think she would take that in account now.

The second I left the ring I was instantly greeted by very flamboyant Goten.

"Dad! Dad! That was so awesome! You were moving so fast and it was so cool when you turned super saiyan and made her go flying out of the ring!" He spoke frantically in excitement.

I chuckled down at him and ruffled his hair. "Thanks little man."

I looked up to survey the room. Vegeta stood cross armed as he tapped his foot impatiently awaiting his match with my father, with Trunks standing nearby. I guess no one else seemed to be concerned about the chibi's being in the room, so I didn't bring it up.

As I turned toward Piccolo, I was unfortunately faced with the very alive looking dead man known as my father.

"You looked great out there Gohan, looks like you've been keeping up with your training." He said in his everlasting cheerful voice. I wasn't sure whether it was ignorance or pure stupidity that made him keep acting like there was absolutely nothing wrong between us. Sending him dirty looks and ignoring him didn't seem to help him catch on. But I really didn't care if he knew; I just wish he'd leave me alone.

So when I impassively looked upon the face that was burned into my memories, I made my eyes shift away from him and to the green skinned warrior who stood at his side.

Piccolo's eyes were looking past me, but he must have sensed my gaze on him because his eyes flickered to mine. The seriousness his orbs held along with the tension in his posture made his troubled thoughts clear.

I turned my gaze back toward Vegeta and found he too was observing Piccolo with a brow raised, also interested in the namekian's edginess. His former role as guardian of the earth always gave him a superstitious sense of identifying danger, not that I hadn't felt it as well.

I decided to turn and inspect the root of all the anxiety, and a cold chill ran down my spine when I turned to find a pair of fierce yellow eyes staring directly at me. As the strange demon whose name was supposedly Dabura bore his cold sharp eyes into mine, I became painfully aware of Piccolo's unhidden concern.

There was just something...off about the aura that surrounded him. It was a dark and impending power, one that felt it would engulf your soul in the path of its wake. And the relic of evil in his eyes held such dark intent. The faint smirk he wore told me he was a slave to the darkness that laid within him. The most dangerous enemies I had stood in front of all shared that exact same shadowy glint within their eyes.

But what was even more disturbing was the way he was looking at me. The way a vulture would intently watch his prey before pouncing to attack. It was unnerving, even to me.

As I tore my gaze away from him, I found that I might soon get some answers, because as I glanced at the board I discovered that he would be fighting in the next match.

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I hope the fight scene was alright, I tried to make it exciting. I actually find them the easiest thing to write since I'm a massive fan of martial arts.

**R****eview** & tell me what you think!


	12. Lift Off

A/N: BAM! New chap. Thanks for the reviews guys & those of you who've stuck around since the very beginning you rock!

There's a definite turning point in the story that takes place this chapter, hopefully you like it. ^_^

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It was brutal; that was the most fitting way to describe the fight. It was a complete one sided affair as Dabura showed no mercy to the young Videl. It was hard to watch at some points, but what made it even worse was Videl's consistency to keep raising to her feet after each devastating blow she received, ones that would make even a man incapable of standing back up.

She might have been Mr. Satan's daughter, but she sure as hell didn't fight like him. She had skills as a martial artist, and showed tremendous heart. But in the end she was left in a battered and bruised state lying outside of the ring.

Dabura looked bored, and I was hardly impressed by his performance. By the end of the fight I had gained more respect for Videl then I did for him. There was nothing honorable about beating up a human female the way he had, and it showed nothing about him as a fighter except the fact that he was vicious.

"Looks like you're up next Goku." Krillin said.

"Yup" The spiky haired man breathed as he performed a series of stretches in preparation.

Krillin placed his hands on the back on his head as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "Man, with you and Vegeta fighting, it's like having the finals in the first round!" The former monk studied the man who continued to stretch his limbs in his warm-up. "Look at you, you're lovin' this aren't you?"

Goku grinned at his long time friend. "What can I say, I'm excited."

Krillin laughed. "Same old Goku."

I watched the two of them from the corner of my eye. Krillin was right, Goku and Vegeta were fighting next, and I felt a little relieved at the fact. I had to witness many uninspiring fights today, but there was no chance that this one would be anything less then stellar.

/

The air was thick with tension as the two full blooded saiyan's stood across from one another in the center of the ring. Both of them sporting their usual apparel - Goku in his orange and blue gi and Vegeta in his blue saiyan armour. Their eyes were locked as they waited to engage in the sole purpose their race stood for.

All the fighters on the sidelines were fully focused on the two warriors, the majority of the people here didn't even know how rare of an opportunity it was to witness such an epic battle between these two elite fighters.

"My dad's gonna win for sure."

"I dunno Trunks-"

"Common Goten, my dad's the strongest person in the whole world, of course he'll win. Right Gohan?"

I turned my head and looked down at the two chibi's standing beside me. There was no sign of uncertainty hidden in those blue orbs as they peered up at me.

"I... don't know." I answered, I honestly had no idea how this was going to play out. There was still so many questions surrounding my father, and Vegeta had enhanced his skills as a fighter by leaps and bounds over the last seven years.

"I've been waiting a long time for this Kakarot." Vegeta claimed in a low menacing tone.

Goku only responded with a smile, one that suggested his own anticipation for this moment as well.

When the announcer indicated the start of the match, the intense gaze they held on one another never wavered. Vegeta's brows were furrowed in concentration as he slowly moved to position himself in his fighting stance. Goku soon followed as he knelt in his familiar stance.

The arena was completely stagnant as all eyes were centered on the two saiyan's. Even I couldn't deny my anticipation of watching these two go at it. As much as the warrior inside of me wished it were myself fighting one of them, I could appreciate a true competitive match, and I knew my opportunity would come soon enough.

In a split second, the standstill the two were sealed in was broken as Vegeta vanished from sight, then reappeared inches in front of Goku. He wasted no time in generating his attack as he unleashed a flurry of strikes.

Goku calmly blocked his attack and met the other saiyan blow for blow. No significant strikes landed as they moved fluently, proceeding to feel each other out at a moderate velocity. The amount of energy they were exerting was rather low.

As Vegeta warded off one of my fathers punches, he took a step back, then ascended into the air. Goku looked up at him, then used his advanced speed to rise and emerge in front of the other man. Their speed quickened as they proceeded to engage once again. Both men occasionally landed a solid strike to the face or body, but for the most part it was an ongoing swap of glancing blows and strikes that were fully blocked.

They backed away from one another with clenched fists. "Now that we're warmed up-" Vegeta raised his ki and transformed into a super saiyan. "Lets see how strong you've really become."

The smile on Goku's face never faltered as he nodded and mimicked the others action by transforming as well.

Without hesitation, Vegeta rushed forward, initiating strikes at an eager pace. Goku easily deflected the onslaught, then delivered a few of his own. They separated, took a breathe, then reengaged, meeting in the middle to exchange blows.

The momentum picked up as the two continued to clash through the air. The pace still felt mediocre to me though, it wasn't the usual relentless endeavor I would expect from these two.

"They're moving so fast I can barely keep up!" Krillin exclaimed. Their speed had surpassed what the average human eye could see, making the sense of bewilderment most people here felt understandable.

"He's gotten much stronger since Cell." Piccolo claimed next to me as our eyes moved rapidly from side to side as we kept up with the two saiyans.

"Yes he has." I agreed. I shouldn't be surprised that he continued to train all this time. I mean, what else was there for a dead saiyan to do in the other world? Especially one devoted to fighting as much as my father, of course he would spend every second training, most likely with King Kai.

My father was a physical specimen; he could do half the amount of training as Vegeta, and still somehow be even in endurance when they fought. So the question still lingered in my mind... how strong has he truly become?

The crowd was silent as they watched the two in awe, and their eyes grew even wider as Vegeta released an energy blast through the air, one that Goku accurately deflected and avoided endangering the crowd. They proceeded to collide through the air above the ring, and must of felt vastly in control as they both exchanged energy blasts without hesitation.

"Alright Kakarot, enough games. You will fight me to your fullest power, understand?"

"If you say so Vegeta."

I watched in mild distaste as Vegeta began to raise his energy, wanting to showcase his enhanced abilities he's developed over the years and finally dethrone my father. But I began to have an overwhelming familiar feeling, one I remembered having at the Cell games as I watched my father fight the evil android.

Goku was holding back... a lot. It looked like he wasn't even trying, it wasn't joy gleaming in his eyes as he fought Vegeta, it was amusement. I felt anger rising inside of me as I took notice of this.

He was simply playing with Vegeta, he was stronger then him, and he knew it from the start. I was skeptical at first, but I could see it clearly now. He was a great deal stronger then the last time I laid eyes on him. It was foolish of me to have questioned him in the first place, this was my father after all, and I knew better than anyone where his commitment laid. His need for combat had always come before our family, when he had to make the choice of being a devoted father or fighter, he chose the latter.

Vegeta must of sensed the same thing I did, because he backed away from his longtime foe, both still hovering over the ring. "Fight me like a man Kakarot!" He shouted as he clinched his fists. "Don't take me for a fool, I want to prove I'm superior then you!"

Goku eyes scanned over Vegeta, appearing as though he was thinking over the question, then finally nodded. "Alright Vegeta, but we have to make sure we don't hurt any of these people, okay?"

Vegeta merely scoffed and descended back down to the ring. "Fine."

Once his feet hit the ground, Vegeta's ki began to climb rapidly as he escalated his power until he reached his limit. The solid floor of the ring beneath his feet began to crack, and electricity sparked as the aura around him grew more radiant. Goku fell back down to the ring, and observed the other saiyan as he continued to strain every ounce of energy from within himself.

Goku shifted slightly, appearing as though he was going to power up as well. But he stopped, letting his eyes slowly drift past Vegeta as something else caught his attention.

What occurred next happened so quickly that I would have missed it if I had blinked. A sudden blur appeared behind Vegeta, and I watched as his dark eyes widened when something was pressed against his back.

"Vegeta!" Goku yelled when the other saiyan released a strangled scream as a sharp object pierced through his skin.

Vegeta's hair flickered back to its usual dark shade, and his lids slowly began to fall shut. It was as if his energy had been zapped out of him as I felt his ki being rapidly drained until it became almost non existent.

It all manifested so fast, but I was lucky to have been able to catch a glimpse of the yellow eyed alien as he pulled the object out of Vegeta's back.

"Dad!" Trunks cried beside me as his father's body fell forward to the ground.

Goku's wide orbs peered down at Vegeta, then up to his assailant. "What did you do to him!" He questioned.

Pui Pui chuckled deviously, holding the odd white object in his hands, then turned around and darted to the sky. I had the urge to follow him as I watched him fly away, but instead I watched Trunks race forward to his father's aid.

Vegeta didn't look in very good shape, his skin was ghostly pale as he laid limply on the floor of the ring with Goku and Trunks hovering over him.

I took a step forward to stand on the path that led to the ring, I could barely feel Vegeta's ki signal from where I stood.

Krillin looked on with wide eyes. "W-what just happened?"

A dry chuckle came from behind, and I quickly turned around and narrowed my eyes. The tall demon had a look of amusement on his face.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

Dabura gave me a look of disinterest. "Sorry, I'd really like to stay and chat, but I have more important matters to attend to."

He went to step forward but I blocked his path. "You're not going anywhere."

He raised an eyebrow, and scanned his eyes over me, then smirked. "Are you sure about that?"

He slowly lifted his open palm, and an orb of energy began to form between his slim fingers. Before I could make a move he tossed the blast over his shoulder, hitting the stands filled with civilians dead on.

The crashing sound resonated throughout the arena as the ground shook beneath my feet. My lips parted slightly as I watched the flames and smoke smother a section of the stands.

The screams of horror from the crowd filled my ears as people hectically tried to scurry like ants to safety.

Once I was able to tear my eyes away from the destruction, I turned and searched around the area for the demon, but he was gone.

"I have to go get a senzu bean from Kurin." My fathers surprisingly strong voice said, he placed two fingers to his forehead then disappeared.

Everyone seemed spellbound by the complete chaos that was happening around us. Screams mingled with throttling footsteps as people hurdled around frantically trying to escape the area that was quickly filling with smoke.

By the time my feet had guided me to the ring my father had already returned with a bag of senzu beans in hand. We all stood silently and watched as he forced the bean down Vegeta's throat.

It felt like everyone was holding their breaths as we waited, and after a few moments, Vegeta's lids slowly fluttered open as the color began to return to his face.

Any worry we felt disappeared the moment Vegeta spoke.

"Kakarot, get your filthy hands off of me!"

"Vegeta, are you okay?"

"Of course I am!" The shorter saiyan responded, acting as though nothing vital has just occurred to him. His eyes trailed over the damaged area. "What the hell happened here!" He demanded. Krillin briefly filled him in on the events that had just unfolded in a matter of minutes, and he gritted his teeth then turned and started to walk away from the rest of us.

"Hey, where are you going?"

"Where do you think I'm going! I'm going to find those baka's before they get away."

Vegeta's plan seemed like a good idea to me.

"Alright, we'll all go." Goku said. Krillin nodded firmly and Piccolo showed no sign of protest.

I turned and peered down at the mops of lavender and raven that stood close by. "You two are staying here." I said, looking directly at Trunks.

He looked at me disbelievingly. "What! No way -"

"Yes." I affirmed sternly.

"But we can help!"

I shook my head. "Go find your mother and make sure she's safe." I took a quick sideways glance at Goten, then turned away, leaving no room for argument.

"Krillin, be careful." Eighteen said to her husband. Then the five of us quickly took to the sky, we couldn't waste anymore time and allow the two who created this mess get away.

/

We flew in silence as we moved in the direction where a few ki signals were far off in the distance. I wasn't exactly sure what they had done to Vegeta or why, all I knew is that they were dangerous and I wasn't going to sit back and see what they had up their sleeves next.

We continued to fly above the terrain region, until Goku began to slow down. "Wait." He said

"What is it?" Krillin questioned as we all began to slow to a stop and turned to face Goku.

"There's someone down there."

I lowered my head to the plain ground we hovered above, and spotted what grabbed my father's attention. There was something definitely down there, but whatever it was it had a feeble energy signal.

"We don't have time for this." Vegeta remarked irritably, but Goku was already lowering himself down, and for some reason I found myself following.

When we touched the ground, we were standing over not one but two unconscious people. One of them had a small figure with light purple skin and a white mohawk, while the other had a much larger build with pink skin and long white locks.

Both of them were badly beaten, and the freshness of their wounds along with the still wet blood soaking the dirt told me these were recent injuries. They were in rough shape, but I could still feel a weak ki generating from both of them, so whatever happened to them they were lucky to still be alive.

Goku reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag of senzu beans before kneeling down beside the smaller one.

"Kakarot, why are you wasting your time on these two fools?"

"They could help us Vegeta."

"Help us, how? By the looks of it they couldn't even help themselves."

Goku ignored him as he pulled out two senzu beans and handed one to Krillin and told him to give it to the larger man.

We watched as Goku placed the bean into the small man's mouth and waited. After a few seconds the wounds covering his body began to heal, and his eyelids slowly began to open. His eyes appeared unfocused at first as they gazed up at the sky, then they slowly turned to my father.

"Hi there. My names Goku," he greeted with a grin, then pointed up at the halo above his head, "I'm dead."

The small man blinked, staring up at my father with a look of wonder. Then he slowly tried to move, and placed a hand to the side of his head as my father helped him sit upright. "Yes, I know who you are." His voice came out slightly raspy, and he coughed.

"You do?" Goku asked in surprise.

"Easy there big guy." Krillin's voice came, and I turned to see the larger man attempting to sit up as well.

"Kabito, are you alright?" The small one asked, when the larger nodded he turned back to my father. "You saved us, thank you."

Goku smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Uh... so who are you?"

The small man stood up, brushing the dirt off his clothing, before answering."My name is Shin."

"He is the Supreme Kai." The larger one said as he came up beside him.

"The what!" Piccolo bellowed.

Shin eyes scanned over each of us. "I suppose we have a lot to talk about."

* * *

If you haven't figured it out yet then I guess I'll let you know that I've decided to include Buu in the story. He was never my fav. villain in DBZ (Cell was) but I thought I should include him. Of course I'll have my own interesting & angsty spin on things... hope you're all okay with that. :)


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